Jack & Elisa
by starfishify
Summary: Crossover between Rise of the Guardians and the 1979 Jack Frost movie. Jack meets Elisa, the girl from his past (from the 1979 movie). Jamie and the other Guardians help Jack catch Elisa's attention. This could be Jack's second chance with her. JackxElisa.
1. Chapter 1

Every year, Jack returned to Burgess on the first day of winter, and every year he found Jamie waiting for him. Jamie grew taller over the years; his interests changed and he liked to do different things, but his faith in Jack never faded for an instant. One year, when Jamie was in middle school, Jack discovered that Jamie had a crush on a girl.

Jack was perched on top of Jamie's dresser with his staff in one hand, absent-mindedly allowing a light snowfall in Jamie's room. Jamie sat back on his bed and enjoyed the snow, while catching up with Jack about the past year's events.

"So this girl you like," Jack said, sitting on the dresser and swinging his feet back and forth. "Does she like you too?"

"I don't know," Jamie groaned. "I don't think she knows I exist."

"Really?" Jack said sarcastically. "Tell me how it feels for people to not know you exist."

"Did you ever like a girl, Jack?" Jamie asked the older boy.

Jack's mouth parted a bit as if to say something, but it devolved into his usual smirk he used when he was covering something. He looked away with the forced smile on his face. "Just once," he said at last.

Jamie waited expectantly, but Jack didn't volunteer any more information. "Just once?" Jamie burst. "You've been around three hundred years and there was just one girl in all that time?"

"I sort of gave up after that," Jack admitted.

"Why? What happened?" Jamie asked in burning curiosity.

"It didn't work," Jack said. "I mean, most people can't even see me, you know. It never would have worked."

"What was her name?"

"…Elisa," Jack said with a slight smile on his lips.

Jamie leaned back on his bed and folded his hands behind his head. "You're going to have to tell me the story, so you might as well get started," he said with a grin.

"Alright," Jack said. "But don't tell anyone!" He aimed his staff at Jamie threateningly. "Got it?"

"My lips are sealed."

"It was a couple hundred years ago," Jack said, leaning back on Jamie's dresser. "I was passing through a town called January Junction. That's where I saw Elisa, out in the snow. And she believed in me. At least, she knew the snow was my doing."

"So she could see you?"

"No, she couldn't. That was the problem. So I asked Father Winter to turn me human-"

"Whoa, what?!" Jamie demanded, sitting up straight. "You were human?! And who's Father Winter?"

"He thinks he's in charge of me," Jack said, rolling his eyes. "I report to him, and he reports to Mother Nature. Except of course I don't really report to him; he just gives me a lecture every time I fly too far south or cause too big of a blizzard or something. Somebody has to make sure I don't go spreading winter over the whole world," he said with a smirk. "Anyways, I convinced him to turn me human, temporarily."

"What did you look like?" Jamie asked curiously.

"Handsome," Jack joked. "Stop interrupting the story. Anyways, it was weird. All of the sudden people could see me, and hear me. That part was great. But I couldn't fly anymore, or use my staff at all. It didn't work anymore. I was just a regular human boy."

"And Elisa? Did she like you?"

"She liked me when I was Jack Frost," Jack said, "but she didn't know it was me."

"Why didn't you just tell her?"

"I don't know. I said stop interrupting. And anyways, it turned out she liked someone else. Some guy named Sir Ravenal. She married him and, that was that," he ended abruptly. He didn't want to tell Jamie the details of how he had actually wanted to marry Elisa, how he had run to her door and asked her father for her hand. He had been too late.

"The reason she didn't marry you is because you didn't tell her the truth," Jamie said. "If she had known it was you, she would have married you for sure. You just needed to be yourself."

"It doesn't matter now," Jack said, looking away. "Anyways, who would spread winter and make snow days if I had settled down, huh?" he asked with his smirk returning.

"Still Jack, I'm sorry that happened to you. But that doesn't mean you should give up," Jamie said brightly, ever the optimist.

"Jamie, most girls can't even see me," Jack said.

"I could get a girl to see you," Jamie said boldly. "I could make her really believe."

Jack laughed. "Sure, a five-year-old girl. Not one my age. Forget it, Jamie. But look, about this girl _you_ like…" he said with a grin, changing the subject. "Let me tell you how to get her attention…"

...

A few years passed. Jamie was in high school now, and dating that girl he liked, with a little help from Jack of course. On the first day of winter Jack returned to Burgess to visit him, waiting perched in a tree outside the high school. He had brought the first snowfall of the season, covering the schoolgrounds with a fluffy layer of white. Jamie would know he was here as soon as he saw the snow. At last the bell rang and Jack spotted Jamie, now as tall as him, emerging from the school with the rest of the crowd. Jack waved at Jamie, who instantly saw him and gave him the biggest smile. Ever year, Jack was relieved to find that Jamie still believed in him. Jamie never let him down.

Jack was about to hop down from the tree to greet Jamie, when he spotted someone else strangely familiar in the crowd. A girl wandered away from the other schoolkids and came walking out into the snow, admiring Jack's work around her. A girl with blonde hair and bright green eyes. Jack froze and stared at her. "Elisa?" he spoke under his breath. It couldn't be, could it? Different clothes, and different century, but the same look of wonder and love of winter in her eyes.

Jamie was running up to the tree that Jack was still perched in, frozen and staring at the girl. "Jack!" Jamie called. His smile turned to confusion as he saw Jack staring into the distance. Then he followed Jack's gaze to the girl. A knowing smile spread over Jamie's face.

Jack snapped out of it and looked down to the other boy. "Hi Jamie," he said with an absent-minded smile. His mind was still on the girl. He hadn't seen Elisa's face in hundreds of years, yet there were some faces and moments in his long long existence that he knew he would never forget.

"Wait here," Jamie said. Then he turned and walked over to the blonde girl.

"Wait!" Jack called in alarm. "Where are you going?" He watched as Jamie joined the girl at her side.

"It's pretty, huh?" he heard Jamie say to the girl, gesturing to the snow-covered surroundings.

"It's beautiful," the girl agreed.

"You can thank Jack Frost," Jamie said, shooting a quick grin over to Jack in the tree.

The girl tilted her head and gave an amused smile. "Jack Frost?"

"Haven't you heard of him?" Jamie said. "Jack brings the winter weather every year. When you feel a cold gust of air? That's Jack flying by. And when you see frost on your window? That's Jack leaving drawings for you."

Jack bit his lip thoughtfully, then decided to let Jamie go ahead and try it at least. Jamie had faith in him, so maybe he should put faith in Jamie. And if anyone could make a believer out of someone, it was Jamie. "

You know, I think I must have heard that story before," the girl was saying to Jamie. "Because it sounds so familiar. I must have heard it when I was little." Her face was clouded in thought, as if she really was trying very hard to remember; Jack took that as a hopeful sign. Maybe she did remember him… from a past life? Was it possible? Well, Jack had been around for three hundred years, and there will still things in the world he couldn't explain. Was it possible for two people to meet again after hundreds of years?

Then again, it was probably just wishful thinking on his part. Still, it would be nice if…

_Please, please,_ Jack thought to himself, watching Jamie talk to the beautiful, strangely familiar girl. _Let her be able to see me. Let her believe in me. _

_...  
_

Later that day, Jack was walking home with Jamie, swinging his staff and frosting the streets as he passed. Kids frolicked out in the first snow of the season, tossing snowballs and making snow angels. "Nice work, Jack," Jamie complimented him. Jamie didn't mind talking to Jack in public, even though to passersby it seemed as if Jamie was having a conversation with himself. But Jamie was cool; he didn't care.

"I can't stay long," Jack said at last. "I have to bring winter farther south."

"I know," Jamie said with a sad smile, shuffling with his hands in his pockets. "Hey, at least I get to see you once a year. Just take care of yourself, alright?"

"You too." Jack said. Then he stopped in his tracks in surprise. If he didn't have control of the winds he probably would have slipped on his own ice and fallen down. The blonde girl was down the street ahead of them. She had a camera and was snapping pictures of the freshly fallen snow, that look of wonder still in her eyes. Jack always appreciated that look. Most people grew tired of the snow as they grew older; some downright hated Jack and his work. But whenever he saw that look of delight in a kid's eyes, somehow it make it all worth it.

Jamie elbowed Jack in the side. "Catch up with you later," he said with a grin, before turning down his own street and heading toward home. He left Jack on the street with the girl.

She was bending over a flower bush, admiring the pink blossoms still thriving into the beginning of winter. Jack flew up behind her on a gust of wind and blew a puff of chilly air over the flowers, frosting them with a coat of white. The girl gasped in surprise at the flowers suddenly frosted before her eyes. "Must be Jack Frost," she said to herself with a smile, before snapping a picture.

As if to confirm what she had said, Jack blew another breath directly at her, coating her blonde hair and eyelashes in snow flurries. She was so surprised at the gust of chilly air that, as she shivered suddenly, the camera fell from her hands and clattered onto the street. She glanced around with wide eyes, searching the (to her eyes) empty street.

"…Jack?" she whispered with a smile. "Is that you?"

Before Jack could think of another way to make himself known to her, a voice called down from the nearest house. "Elisa!" the woman's voice called. "Come inside; you'll catch cold!"

The girl sighed and picked up her camera. "Coming, Mom!" she called, before hurrying up the stairs to the front door. She opened the door, but before she went inside, she took one last glance at the snowy, seemingly empty street.

Jack stood still and stared, as if he himself had been frozen. The girl's mother had called her _Elisa_.


	2. Chapter 2

Now that Jack knew the girl really was Elisa, he was determined to somehow get her attention. He would make her notice him if it was the last thing he did. He flew back to Jamie's house and saw Jamie through the open window of his bedroom, sitting at his desk doing homework. Jack divebombed into the window, causing Jamie to jump and fall backwards out of his chair.

"Scared ya," Jack said.

"Geez, Jack," Jamie laughed and picked himself off the floor. Jack hovered onto the bed and sat cross-legged in thought. "So, how'd it go?" Jamie asked expectantly.

"It's her," Jack said. "It's Elisa. But she can't see me. How do I get her to see me?"

"You got me to see you," Jamie said with a shrug.

"Yeah, but you were just a little kid then and you already believed in crazy things like yetis and aliens."

"Those _are_ real," Jamie said with a frown.

"Yeah, yeah," Jack said, talking mostly to himself. "The point is, getting a teenager to believe in me is a lot harder. Well, it's still a whole lot easier than getting an adult to believe in me; that's about impossible."

"I can just go talk to her for you," Jamie said. "I'll just tell her that you-"

"No, no! You can't say anything to her!" Jack interrupted. "Believing is something that nobody else can tell you to do; you have to do it yourself."

"Well if she really is Elisa, than she should already believe in you at least a little," Jamie said. "She might even remember you."

"That's it!" Jack said, snapping his fingers. "I'll get her to remember me! Then she'll believe." He jumped off the bed and flew to the window, pausing on the windowsill to look back at Jamie. "Thanks, Jamie," he said with a smile.

"Well, you always helped me, so it's nice to think I can help you a little," Jamie smiled back. "Where are you going?"

"Tooth Palace," Jack said. "I need a word with Tooth."

"Say hi to her for me," Jamie said. "I haven't seen her since I lost my last tooth."

"Don't worry, she's keeping them in good hands for you," Jack said with a smile. Then he leapt out the window.

...

"Tooth!" Jack called, arriving lightly on the balcony of Tooth Palace. A few mini fairies flew up excitedly to greet him. "Hey guys," he said. "I need to talk to Tooth." The mini fairies nodded and bobbed up and down, then flew off with a buzzing of wings, leading Jack into the palace.

The Tooth Fairy was filing away some child's tooth in box. "…and that's the last one for little Angie," she said, pushing the box closed gently. "I just hope she's learned to brush more after all those Halloween candy cavities." Tooth spun around with a flit of her wings, and smiled to see Jack. "Jack!" she said brightly, flying up to meet him. "It's nice to see you!"

"Always a pleasure, Tooth," Jack said, leaning casually on his staff. "How's the tooth collection going?"

"Oh it's fine, except this time of year is just filled with cavities after they've eaten all the Halloween candy, and the Christmas candy canes don't help-"

"I need your help," Jack interrupted, knowing the Tooth Fairy could babble on all day about teeth.

"What is it, Jack?" Tooth asked in genuine concern.

"I need you to return a child's memories," Jack answered.

"Oh? Whose?"

"Elisa. She lives in Burgess, but she used to live in January Junction back when I knew her."

"January Junction?" the Tooth Fairy repeated thoughtfully, flitting over to a wall of teeth boxes. "Hm, Elisa..." She scanned the wall with her finger, and found the box with a smile. She pulled the box out of the wall slightly. "Ah yes, she's here. All twenty of her little teeth, all nicely flossed."

Jack could just see a tiny picture of a blonde-headed little girl with bright green eyes, amid the thousands of other faces. "Yeah! Yeah that's her! Bring it here!" He nearly jumped to grab the box.

"Oh no, Jack," Tooth said, turning to look at him disapprovingly. She quickly pushed the box back into the wall. "Elisa doesn't need these memories yet. Elisa is doing just fine."

"But she doesn't remember me," Jack said, throwing his arms out in frustration.

"Oh Jack," Tooth said sadly, flying back down to his level. "Just because you want her to remember you, that isn't justification for returning these memories to her. We have to save them for a time when _she _needs them most."

"But I could be in there!" Jack replied, pointing at the tooth box. "There could be memories of me!"

"Then I will return them when she needs them, and not a moment before," Tooth said, wagging a finger at Jack. "That's my job, and I'm pretty good at doing it without you telling me when to do it, Jack Frost."

Jack sighed. "But I want her to believe in me."

"You don't need these teeth to do that," Tooth said, putting hand on his shoulder and smiling. "I'm sure you can get her to believe in you. You've got plenty of charm. You can do it all on your own."

Jack was looking away, thinking hard, not really paying attention to Tooth's advice. "Yeah…" he said, mostly to himself. "Yeah, that's what I'll do. Thanks, Tooth," he said, looking back to her with a smile.

"I'm glad you understand, Jack," Tooth said with a beaming smile. "And I'm glad you finally found a girl you really like!"

"I – what? I didn't say that."

"Oh Jack, being in love is nothing to be embarrassed about," Tooth said, clasping her hands together and giving a dreamy, far-off look. The mini fairies hovered around her, sighing and copying her dreamy expression, one actually fainting and falling out of the air. Jack caught it quickly.

"Um, sure, Tooth," he said. "Just… don't tell Bunnymund."

"My lips are sealed," Tooth beamed. The mini fairy in Jack's hands awoke from its faint, glanced around in confusion, and flew back into the air. Jack grabbed his staff and turned to go.

"You'll do fine, Jack," Tooth said, waving good-bye at him. "Good luck!"

"See you soon, Tooth." Jack flew out of the palace and glanced around the horizon, seeing night was on its way. "If Tooth won't help me," Jack said under his breath, "then Sandy will."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: THANK YOU TO MY FRIEND DARKSROSE53 ON DEVIANTART FOR HELPING ME WITH IDEAS!**

Jack flew back to Burgess and perched on some telephone wires, waiting for a certain other Guardian to arrive. He knew he would arrive, because this Guardian flew across the entire world every night. Jack made a light snowfall to pass the time, and saw children going to bed through their windows. Sometime in the deep hours of the night, he saw the familiar golden glowing light on the horizon. The Sandman had arrived in Burgess. Jack leaped into the air and flew to meet him.

"Sandy!" he called. The Sandman was flying over the houses, sending his Dream Sand out in long glowing trails that drifted down into children's windows. The sand swirled into other shapes as it traveled through the air, forming golden figures of dinosaurs and rocketships and fairies. When the Sandman heard Jack's voice, he turned and smiled at him.

"Sandy," Jack said, landing on a rooftop. "I need your help with something."

The Sandman pressed a finger to his lips to signal for Jack to keep his voice down. The children were sleeping, after all.

"Sorry," Jack said, lowering his voice to a whisper. "I need you to send a special dream to someone."

Sandy looked at Jack questioningly.

"It's…this girl," Jack admitted.

Sandy crossed his arms and looked at Jack with a raised eyebrow.

"I used to know her. I need you to send her a dream about me, about when we used to know each other."

The Sandman's face broke into a little smile, and he nodded in consent. He gestured an arm around to ask where the girl was.

"This way," Jack said. He flew down to Elisa's second-story window, and Sandy followed him, trailing long streams of Dream Sand through the air behind him. Jack gently pushed Elisa's window open, trying not to make a noise. She was in her bed sleeping peacefully, but with no dreams yet.

"That's her," Jack whispered. He couldn't help look at how her blonde hair fell around her pillow, and how her face looked so peaceful.

The Sandman spun some Dream Sand around in his hands, molding it into a shape. He gave a questioning look to Jack to ask what exactly he should make the dream about.

"Make the dream about her iceskating. That was the time we first met," Jack finished quietly.

The Sandman nodded and sent the glittering ball of sand over to Elisa. The sand sprinkled down onto her face and hair, and then a dream formed over her head. The sand formed a little figure of Elisa ice-skating, and, before long, a little figure of Jack joined her. Jack thought he saw Elisa smile a little in her sleep, but maybe that was just wishful thinking. He had watched the Sandman give a lot of dreams to children, but for some reason he felt he was intruding when watching Elisa's dream. He jumped back to the window. "Thanks, Sandy," he whispered with a smile. The Sandman nodded to him and returned the smile. "I have to go frost some towns further south now," Jack said. He hoped that the dream would jog Elisa's memory. Who knew? Come morning, she might be a believer.

...

Jack returned hopefully to Burgess in the morning after a long night of bringing snow to other towns. Burgess would always feel like home to him. He could see the town children walking out their front doors and heading to school. He flew down and landed on a pile of snow, preparing to get in a good snowball fight before the schoolbus arrived. He was about to toss a well-aimed snowball at a little boy, when he spotted Elisa coming out the front door of her house. "Good-bye, Mom!" she called. She looked around at the freshly fallen snow on the street that Jack had placed there during the night, and turned back to the door. "Mom, it snowed again last night!" she said excitedly.

"That's nice, dear," Jack heard the woman's voice from inside. Elisa hurriedly slung on her backpack and shut the door behind her. She hurried down the front stairs and broke into a run toward the bus stop, apparently running late.

Jack dropped the un-thrown snowball and then flew over to the bus stop. He watched Elisa run up and smiled hopefully at her. If the dream had worked, she might see him. Maybe she would think he was just another teenager going to school.

It was just him and Elisa at the bus stop. "Hey…" he said hopefully. Elisa made no sign of hearing him. She was glancing around the street instead. Jack's heart sunk. She still couldn't see him, or hear him? He sighed. Elisa rubbed the sleep sand out of her eyes, still there from her dream last night. "Hey Elisa," he continued, talking to himself. "It's me, Jack…" Now Elisa was admiring some still un-frozen flowers on a bush that Jack had apparently missed. She picked one and admired it. "You probably don't remember, but…" Jack went on. The schoolbus pulled up to the bus stop, and Elisa hopped up the stairs with her backpack.

"But we used to be…pretty good friends," Jack finished lamely, watching Elisa greet the bus driver and then go to find a seat among the other kids. The bus closed its doors and drove away, leaving Jack alone at the bus stop. The younger middle and elementary school kids were still out on the street, but Jack didn't feel like a snowball fight anymore. He sighed deeply and walked down the street, swinging his staff and freezing the last remaining flowers.

Why couldn't she see him? The dream should have jogged her memory. But then again, dreams were easy to forget, and anyways why should she think that something in her dream was real? Dreams were just dreams, at least most of the time. Maybe she needed something more substantial, something in the real world.

Then Jack knew which Guardian he would ask next for help. After all, Christmas was just around the corner.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Some of the dialogue here is directly from the 1979 Jack Frost movie.**

"North!" Jack shouted, barging into the workshop bustling with elves and yetis. The North Pole was busy all year round, but at this time of year it was at a point near hysteria. Yetis hurried in every direction at once, preparing last-minute batches of toys and frantically painting and re-painting. The elves were trying to transport toys to the sleigh, but mostly tripping over each other and rolling across the floor. Jack spotted North shouting orders at some yetis. He hurried over in North's direction, hopping over an elf as he went.

"North!" he shouted again, trying to be heard over the bustling roar of the workshop. North jumped in surprise and turned toward Jack.

"Jack!" he said in surprise. "This had better be important. Christmas is only two weeks away! You know what it's like at this time of year. Busy, busy, busy!" North gestured his hand around the workshop with each "busy," referring to the general pandemonium around them.

"I need your help," Jack insisted.

That caught North's attention. "Walk with me." He placed a hand on Jack's shoulder and guided him to an empty room where they could talk in private. North shut the door behind them. "What is it, Jack? Are there children in trouble?" he asked seriously.

"No," Jack said hurriedly. "It's nothing like that. I just, um, wondered if you could deliver a special gift to someone for me."

North stroked his white beard thoughtfully. "Who? Jamie? I have already made everything on his list."

"No, it's… a girl," Jack said.

"Oh, I see…" North said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "What girl? Is she on nice list or naughty?"

"Nice, I would think."

"Then you stay away from her," North said threateningly, pointing a finger at Jack.

"Come on, North! Help me out!" Jack pleaded. "Her name is Elisa; she lives in Burgess."

"Ah yes, Elisa," Santa said thoughtfully, smiling at Jack. "She is on nice list. Every year. Good girl."

"So, can you give her something special for me?"

"I have already made everything she asked for," North said smugly. "New camera, new snow boots, new mittens. All in the sleigh already."

"But I want to give her something special, something that will remind her of me," Jack said.

"She knows you?" North asked with a raised eyebrow.

"She used to, but she doesn't remember."

"What did you have in mind?"

Jack thought for a moment. "Ice skates," he said. "She was ice-skating the first time we met."

"Ice skates were not on her list," Santa said with a shrug.

"She loves ice-skating, trust me. She just doesn't remember."

"Very well, Jack," North said. "I will get the yetis on it straight away. But if you think that these ice skates will make her believe in you, I am afraid you are mistaken."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked in surprise.

"No object alone will make someone believe," North said. "You do not believe with your eyes. You believe with your heart."

Jack lowered his eyes. "Just give them to her, for me, okay?"

"Of course, Jack. But if you drag this girl down onto naughty list with you, you have me to deal with." He slapped Jack on the back and shoved him out the door. "Now get out of my hair. You have work to do. I want a white Christmas this year, understand?"

"Yeah, yeah," Jack said, rolling his eyes.

"Do not let girl distract you from your work," North said, wagging a finger at Jack threateningly. "Lots of snow this year, or else. And one more thing, Jack." His tone changed. "Do not let the children suffer from this either."

"What?" Jack asked in surprise.

"You are Guardian. We have responsibilities to others before ourselves. Do not let girl distract you from protecting children. That is even more important than snow."

Jack nodded in understanding.

"Good, now go. Fly. I am busiest man in world right now." North waved him away, and Jack navigated his way out of the chaotic, bustling workshop.

...

Jack took North's words to heart. He had responsibilities to the children of the world, and he couldn't let them down. He spent the next few weeks away from Burgess, spreading snow across the upper half of the northern hemisphere in preparation for a white Christmas. He was sure to instigate snowball fights and winter fun whenever possible. Still, his thoughts were haunted by the girl he wanted so desperately to believe in him. He knew she believed in him at least a little, but it took whole-hearted belief without a trace of doubt to be able to see him.

On Christmas Day his work was compete, and he decided to take a well-deserved break. He returned to Burgess and the first thing he did, of course, was look in through Jamie's window. Jamie was unwrapping presents with his mother and sister, all gathered around the Christmas tree. Jack smiled, and, not wanting to disturb the scene, left a message on Jamie's bedroom window instead. He frosted the windowpane with his staff and drew a little Christmas tree. Jamie would know it was him. Then he flew down a few streets over to Elisa's house and tentatively peered in the window.

Wrapping paper and empty boxes littered the floor, so apparently Elisa's family had finished opening presents already. He saw her mother and father sitting at the table sipping coffee, chatting happily. He spotted Elisa coming down the stairs with her coat, hat, and mittens, and carrying in one hand a new pair of ice skates from the old man himself. Jack smiled; North never let anyone down.

"Elisa, where are you going?" Jack heard her father ask her.

"I'm going outside," Elisa said excitedly, pulling on her new snow boots. "The ice skating pond is frozen solid, so I can try out my new skates!" she said brightly.

"Did you get those skates for her?" her father asked her mother with a confused glance.

"I thought you did," her mother answered, equally puzzled. "Anyways, Elisa, you can go skating anytime. There must be another reason."

Elisa laughed as she pulled on her mittens. "Maybe I just want to see Jack Frost's work before anyone spoils it."

That caught Jack's attention; he pressed himself up to the window to listen better.

"You're so romantic, Elisa," her mother said with a weary smile. "Find yourself a nice solid boy, and settle down."

"Oh, Mom," Elisa laughed.

"Aren't you in love with anybody yet?" her father asked with a smirk.

"Only Jack Frost," Elisa answered with a laugh.

Jack blushed a light shade of blue, pressing his face up to the window. Did she mean it?

Elisa came out the front door, carrying her ice skates. Jack smiled and followed her as she hurried down the street. He threw snowballs at several children on the way, and helped one get a little acceleration on his new sled.

He followed Elisa down to the town ice-skating rink, a pond that was used for swimming in the summer and skating in the winter. Usually it was a busy place, but being still early on Christmas Day, Elisa was the only one there. Jack watched as she sat on the ground, lacing up her new pair of ice skates, and then stood up carefully, flailing her arms for balance.

"You'll get the hang of it fast," Jack said, though he knew she couldn't hear him. "Trust me, you're a natural-born ice-skater."

Elisa glided out onto the ice, still waving her arms unsteadily. "I wonder who got me these," she said to herself.

"That would be me," Jack answered, gliding easily out onto the ice next to her. "Come on, you can go faster than that," he chuckled. He blew a gust of wind at her back, and Elisa gasped in surprise as she glided quickly forward across the ice.

"What was that?" she laughed. Jack blew another breath at her and she went faster and steadier. She spread out her arms like a bird flying. She laughed happily as Jack blew her around the entire the entire pond, as lightly and easily as a leaf on the wind. At last she was going so fast that she skated straight off the ice and into a pile of snow.

"Oof!" she said, landing flat on the snow. Jack landed beside her in concern, but smiled to see she was perfectly alright and laughing it off.

"Whoops," Jack said, leaning on his staff. "Sorry about that."

"Really, I wish I knew who got these for me," Elisa said to herself. "I don't even know who to thank."

"Me," Jack said, plopping down on the snow beside her. "That would be me."

"Was it Aunt Gertrude, maybe?" Elisa said thoughtfully.

"It wasn't your auntie, kiddo," Jack protested. "It was me. I mean, it was Santa, but I'm the one who told him you would like them." He watched as Elisa unlaced her ice skates and put her boots back on. "I knew you would like them," he added lamely.

"Well, at least I know who to thank for the snow," Elisa continued talking to herself, or so she thought. "Jack Frost," she said with a laugh.

"You're welcome," Jack said smugly.

Elisa looked lost in thought for a moment, sitting in the snow. "That's funny," she said. "I had a dream about ice-skating a while ago. I just now remembered. But I think there was somebody else there in the dream... yes, there was definitely someone else. Somebody I knew." She bit her lip thoughtfully, trying to remember, but sighed and gave up. "Oh well."

As Elisa stood up, ice skates in hand, Jack got an impulse and acted on it. He leaned in quickly toward Elisa and kissed her cheek. Elisa shivered as his cold lips brushed her warm pink skin. "What was that?" Elisa breathed. Jack pulled back quickly. He dared not touch her for long or she might get frostbite. "I felt a chill," she whispered with a smile. Jack stared at her; the warmth of her cheek had felt so good. He had forgotten what it felt like. Then Jack watched as the girl gathered her things, turned and headed for home.


	5. Chapter 5

(Thank you so much to everyone who left me a review, for your amazing support! You guys are awesome and have really inspired me to continue this story!)

In the surrounding state of Pennsylvania, winter was melting into spring, but in Burgess there was fresh snowfall all season long. Only Jamie and the younger children knew this was because of Jack Frost. He had completed his seasonal duty of spreading the winter frost around the world, and now had the rest of the season to do as he pleased. Most of his time he spent either visiting Jamie or Elisa, though the latter still couldn't see him. Still, he was happy just to watch her. Sometimes she would take care of younger children and tell them about Jack Frost, who brought them snow days. Jack would sit in the window and listen with a smile, and bring down snowfall as she told the stories, hoping to give her a sign that he was there listening. Elisa spent the rest of her free time ice-skating with the ice skates Jack had got for her, and she was getting pretty good at it. It was a perfect, peaceful winter for everyone in Burgess, but it was starting to last too long.

"Will this snow ever melt?" Jack heard Jamie's mother ask one morning.

"I don't want it to melt!" Jamie protested, defending his friend Jack. When his mother had walked away, Jamie added to Jack, "Don't listen to her. You know what grown-ups are like."

"But she's right, Jamie," Jack admitted. "Usually this time of year I head north to Alaska or someplace."

"You're hanging around this year," Jamie observed. A smile formed on his face. "It's because of that girl, isn't it?"

"What? No!" Jack blurted quickly, causing a sudden sprinkle of snow flurries.

"It is! It's Elisa!" Jamie smiled in triumph. "You don't want to leave her!" He poked a finger at Jack's chest, laughing.

"Cut it out!" Jack waved Jamie's hand away.

"Can she see you yet?" Jamie asked, his smile disappearing.

"…No," Jack admitted, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"How come?" Jamie frowned worriedly.

"She…she believes in me, I know she does! But something in her still doubts. And you have to believe without a trace of doubt in order to see."

"Just kiss her already! That'll make her believe!" Jamie laughed. "There's your chance now." He nodded to Elisa's familiar blonde figure standing at the bus stop down the street, awaiting the schoolbus. "Go on. I'll catch you later."

"Aren't you going to school too?" Jack asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nah, I'm playing sick today!" Jamie said with a grin. "Mom says I'm under the weather! Thanks to you, Jack," he laughed as he headed inside. "Catch you later!"

Jack shook his head, not fully able to suppress a smile. "I think I'm a bad influence on that kid. Hey! Go do your homework!" he shouted as Jamie walked away. "I don't want North thinking I got you on the naughty list!"

Jamie laughed again and shook his head. "No way! Good luck Jack." He shut the door, leaving Jack standing alone outside with Elisa down the street, sitting on the bench at the bus stop.

As he strolled up to Elisa through the freshly fallen snow, he heard her singing a song, an old poem he had heard before. He smiled.

"_Look out, look out! Jack Frost is about! He's after our fingers and toes,_" Elisa was singing to herself, waiting for the bus on the snow-covered bench. "_And all through the night, this gay little sprite, is working where nobody knows_!"

Jack sat down lightly next to her on the bench, resting his head on his staff and just listening to her.

"_He'll climb every tree, so nimble is he! His silvery powder he'll shake_," she continued, not aware that anyone was listening to her. "_To the windows he'll creep, and while we're asleep, such wonderful pictures he'll make!"_

Jack leaned back, his smile breaking into a full grin. He liked this song.

"_Across the grass, he'll merrily pass, and turn all its greenness to white_!" she sang happily to herself. "_Then home he will go, and laugh 'ho ho ho! What fun I have had in the night!'_"

"Cecily E. Pike," a low menacing voice said behind Jack, causing him to jump to his feet in fright and grab his staff. He twirled around and saw none other than the Easter Bunny, leaning against the bus stop sign with his arms crossed, and glaring at him.

"Bunny!" Jack exclaimed happily, despite the rabbit's glare. "What did you say?" he added in confusion.

"Cecily E. Pike," Bunny said, strolling up to Jack. "The author of that poem."

"Oh… yeah." Jack rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Elisa had finished her song and was sitting quietly, apparently not able to see or hear Bunny. But she raised her head and looked around her, as if feeling that someone was there.

"She doesn't believe in you either?" Jack asked quietly, staring at Elisa.

"She's outgrown us, mate," Bunny said. "That's the whole point. It was something you never quite grasped about the Guardians."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked with a frown.

"Children are supposed to grow up," Bunny said. "That's our job, to help them grow up. And that means eventually they stop believing. It's not a bad thing. It means we succeeded."

"You're wrong," Jack argued. "Just because you grow up doesn't mean you have to stop believing."

"Sure. Point taken. But the ones who keep believing, they don't usually do so well. They don't fit in right. Is that what you want for her?" He nodded to Elisa.

"What?" Jack asked with a frown.

"You keep hanging around her, trying to make her believe again. She's happy now the way things are. That means we did our job. So why can't ya just let her be?"

Jack started to get annoyed with his friend, shaking his head. "You don't understand."

"I think I do," Bunny protested. "Look, Lover Boy. You're a Guardian now. You've got responsibilities to the children. You sacrifice a lot to be a Guardian. You can't just run off and marry some sheila."

Jack's eyes widened. "Lover Boy?!"

"Word gets around. The point is, why keep torturing yourself, mate? It's not just you that will suffer, it's her, and all the rest of the children."

Jack glared angrily away at the ground, gripping his staff. "I know my responsibilities, okay? Could you lay off it now?"

"Sure. As soon as you fly out of Burgess. Easter's tomorrow, mate. Did you forget?" Bunny's arms were crossed threateningly. "I'm not going to have another egg hunt ruined."

Jack sighed and looked crestfallen. "But Bunny-"

"No buts! Say good-bye to your little friends for a while and go freeze some other town. Sorry mate, but you can't have winter all year."

Jack sighed again in annoyance, but then relented and smiled, knowing his friend was right. "Alright, Bunny. Go hide some eggs."

He playfully punched Bunny in the arm, causing Bunny to flinch and rub the spot. "Yeah yeah," Bunny muttered. "I'll see you around, Lover Boy." He hopped away down an alleyway and disappeared down a rabbit hole, leaving Jack at the bus stop with Elisa.

"Bye, Elisa," he whispered, as soon as Bunny had disappeared. "See you next winter." He smiled sadly. "You're growing up just fine."

Jack was about to turn and leave, but he was startled by the sound of a crying child – not loud noisy crying, but quiet crying that someone was trying to hold in. He turned to see a child about ten years old, a little girl, with tears in her eyes and a runny nose. Jack hated seeing any child cry. He jumped forward automatically, but realized in disappointment the girl couldn't see him. But then, a lot of children stopped believing around her age. He wanted so badly to comfort her, whatever she was crying about, but he was invisible to her. The girl strolled right past him, up through the snow to the bus stop where Elisa was sitting. "Hi Elisa," the girl choked.

Elisa looked over in surprise and stood up. "Angie! What's the matter?" she asked in concern, seeing the girl's tears. She hurried over to the girl, leaned down and hugged her tightly. Jack stepped toward them, wishing he could help.

After a moment, Elisa released the little girl from her hug and looked at her in the eyes. "What's the matter Angie? You can tell me anything; you know that."

"It's nothing. It's silly," the girl sniffed.

"No it isn't," Elisa insisted. "It matters."

"I don't want to talk about it," the girl said, and then she changed the subject to finalize it. "What was that song you were singing, Elisa? Just now, a few minutes ago.

"Oh that?" Elisa smiled. "It was just an old song about Jack Frost. They taught it to us at school when I was about your age. They teach it every year. I'm sure you'll learn it soon too."

"Jack Frost? The one who brings the snow?"

"That's right."

"He isn't real," the girl said sadly. Jack felt stabbed through the heart, but he didn't think the girl really meant it. She was just heartbroken about something.

"Now why would you say that?" Elisa asked with a playful smile. "Don't you think that would hurt his feelings?"

"Oh Elisa, I'll tell you why I was crying," the girl said through strangled sobs, "I found out today about Santa."

Jack froze, realizing why the girl couldn't see him, and why she was so sad.

"Oh…." Elisa said sadly, not sure what to say.

"My parents told me. They said they left all the Christmas presents all these years. Well I'd be fine with that of course. But then they said that Santa doesn't exist. They said I was too old to still believe in him."

"Oh Angie-"

"And if he doesn't exist, then neither does the Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy, or any of the others," she choked out. "I told you it was silly."

"But they're wrong!" Jack burst in protest, not caring that she couldn't see or hear him. "We are real! All of us!" He looked at the older girl. "Tell her, Elisa!"

"Oh, Angie." Elisa hugged the girl again as she cried quietly. Then she held the girl at arm's length and looked her straight in the eye. "I'll tell you something, Angie. Grown-ups aren't always right about everything. Your parents are wrong. Santa is real."

"He sure is," Jack said with a little laugh. "He's got one heck of a sleigh too."

"How do you know?" the little girl asked sincerely. "Have you seen them?"

"No," Elisa admitted. "But some of the most important things in this world are the things you will never see. Like love, and Santa."

Jack froze in his tracks and was listening to Elisa's words as closely as the little girl did.

"What do you mean?" the little girl asked in confusion.

"Do your parents love you?" Elisa asked patiently.

"Yes, they do," the girl sniffed.

"Can you see their love?"

"Well, no."

"Even if they didn't get you any presents or anything, and there was nothing to see? Even if they lived very far away, and you never saw them, you would still know they loved you?"

"Yes."

"And it's just the same with Santa," Elisa said. "You'll probably never see him, and there's no proof that he's there. There can't be any proof, because the most important things are the things you can't prove, but you know they're there anyway. You could station a man at every chimney in the world on Christmas Eve, and none of them would ever catch Santa, or even get a photo of him. But he'd come nonetheless. And it's just the same with the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy. And Jack Frost too."

Jack listened entranced to Elisa's words, but he couldn't tell if she was just comforting the child, or if she really meant it.

"Do you really believe that?" the little girl asked, sensing the same indecision in Elisa as Jack did.

Elisa hesitated a moment, as if deciding in that moment, but then she answered genuinely, so that Jack could see it in her eyes. "I do. I wasn't sure for the longest time – I was confused, like you were, because people kept telling me different things. But then I realized, all on my own. I believe in them. And that's all the proof I need."

The widest smile had crept over Jack's face without him even realizing it, as he stood there watching Elisa and the girl. The girl had stopped crying and was smiling at Elisa, and Elisa smiled back. Suddenly, Elisa's eyes rose slightly, and she gasped.

Jack spun around, picking up his staff defensively, to face whatever Elisa saw behind him. Because that's where her eyes were looking. But there was nothing behind him. Confused, he turned back to look at Elisa. No, she wasn't looking behind him. She was looking _at _him.

"What is it, Elisa?" the little girl asked, as she turned around to face Jack as well. Her eyes squinted, as if struggling to see something, and then she gave a little gasp as well.

"Who are you?" the little girl asked Jack.

Jack was too taken aback to answer. He had just watched Elisa make a child believe in him. And not only that, she had made _herself _believe.

"That's Jack Frost," Elisa answered the girl with a smile. Both the girls stared at Jack, who could only grin stupidly back at them. She could see him! She knew who he was! He hopped up and down a little bit, and vaguely noticed there was snow falling around them, but he couldn't find anything to say, so he just smiled.

They continued staring for a few minutes, until the little girl's mother called to her from her house. "Angie!" the voice called. The little girl hesitated, took one last look at Jack, and then turned and dashed back to her house, disappearing through the front door.

"Mom! Mom!" Jack and Elisa could hear her calling from inside the house. "I saw Jack Frost! I saw him!" The front door closed and the girl's excited shouts were cut off, leaving only Jack and Elisa still staring and smiling at each other. After all this time, and all the energy he had put into trying to get her to believe in him – It turned out she had made herself believe. And he realized now, that was the only way.

Elisa rose to her feet slowly. "Jack?" she breathed.

"Hi Elisa," Jack said at last, with his lop-sided smile. After all this time, it was all he could think of to say.


	6. Chapter 6

Elisa just stared at Jack as light snow flurries fell around them. Jack hoped the snow flurries wouldn't betray how nervous he felt right now. "You – you know my name?" Elisa asked him in surprise.

"Well of course I do!" Jack said excitedly, hopping closer to her. "I watch you ice skate all the time! And sometimes I listen in when you tell the younger kids stories about me – I mean…" he started stumbling on his words, realizing how much he had just revealed. Elisa didn't look creeped out though; she looked excited.

"You've been there the whole time?!" she asked eagerly.

"Well, yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

Elisa stepped closer and looked him up and down with wide eyes, amazed to see him as if he had just stepped out of one of her stories. "You really bring the snow and frost?! Like in the stories, and in that song?"

"Yeah! I'm…. kind of famous," he said smugly.

"And you know my name," Elisa said in disbelief.

"Well, yeah! I mean, I know all the kids around here, but you and I – well, we go way back, right?" He had hopped right up to her so that his face was right in front of hers. "We're old friends!"

Jack's wide smile faded as he saw how confused Elisa looked. "We've met before?" she asked, the snow catching on her eyelashes as she blinked.

"Oh…" Jack took a step back, swinging his staff back in front of him as he lowered his eyes. "You still don't remember." Elisa watched in confusion as he continued to step back, talking to himself mostly. "Well, hey, that's alright," he was saying to a spot somewhere to his left. "I mean, why would you remember? That was a really, really long time ago. In fact, I don't really even know if you're the same person. I mean, how would that even be possible? It's silly." He hopped up on the back of the bench, perched there with this staff and looking away sadly.

"You mean, we met when I was little?" Elisa asked curiously.

"Something like that," Jack said.

"I'm sorry I can't remember," Elisa replied.

"It's not your fault."

"Wait a minute…" Elisa took a small step forward, holding her hand to her chin thoughtfully. "Are you the one who got me the ice skates?"

Jack's smile returned as he looked up at her. "Sure am."

"Really? That was you?" she burst with a wide open smile.

"Sure was!" He leapt off the bench and onto his feet again. He swung his staff around absent-mindedly as he talked, causing an ice patch to grow around the bus stop. "Well, technically it was Santa, but I'm the one who told him you'd like them."

"Jack – I love them. I love the ice skates," she said, voice growing strangely soft and quiet. Jack stopped swinging his staff and looked at her in concern, wondering at the change of tone.

"I really do," she went on. Suddenly she moved forward toward him, slipping on the ice a bit, but colliding into him with a hug, throwing her arms around his neck. Jack's eyes went wide with shock and his arms went up at his sides as the girl ran smack into him and hugged him. He was so surprised that he dropped his staff and it clattered onto the ice. "Thank you," she said, her voice right next to his ear.

Jack was frozen in shock for a moment, but eventually managed to put his arms around the girl's waist. "You're – you're welcome," he stuttered. She must have _really _liked those ice skates. She felt so warm. Jack hadn't hugged many people in the past three hundred years. He had hugged Tooth and North, but they were spirits like himself. He'd hugged Jamie, but for some reason Jack felt a whole lot warmer now.

Elisa pulled away quickly, feeling how stiff and awkward Jack felt underneath her. "You're really cold," he heard her say as she pulled away. Jack realized he'd blown the hug and probably given her a cold too.

"Sorry," he muttered, then thought of something. "Hey," he said quickly. "Look, I've only got one day here before I have to head north. So let's do something fun."

"One day?" Elisa protested. Then she glanced over at the street, realizing the school bus would be there any minute. "And I've got school…"

"School, huh?" Jack groaned, leaning back against the sign post for a moment. He shook his head, causing the snow flurries to shake out of his tousled white hair. "Bunny is not going to like this," he said. "But I have to do it."

"What?" Elisa asked excitedly.

"I'm calling it a snow day," Jack said, spinning his staff in his hand. "School is cancelled. Or at least, it will be in a few minutes."

Elisa burst into laughter before covering her mouth with her hands. "You can do that?" she asked eagerly.

"Of course! That's my job, as far as I'm concerned. Just wait here a moment." He started to walk off, gesturing for Elisa to stay put. "I'll be right back. Got it?"

"You will come back, won't you?" the girl demanded.

"I promise," Jack replied. "Now watch this." He hopped into the air, summoning the winds with this staff. Elisa's bright green eyes widened in amazement as the sudden winds whipped her blonde hair. She watched wide-eyed as the boy flew up into the sky over Burgess. She ran forward to follow him with her eyes, up to the clouds, but she lost him when she had to shield her gaze from the sun. Within moments, the clear blue skies were suddenly filled with gray storm clouds, circling overhead. Snow began to fall, heavier and faster at every moment, covering Burgess in a layer of snow within a few minutes. It didn't stop though. The snowstorm hit out of nowhere, filling the streets of Burgess and burying cars in their driveways.

Elisa spotted Jamie Bennett and his sister running out of their house and onto the street. "Snow day!" she heard Jamie shout to her. He pointed inside his house at the television set, showing the news report of yet another late-season freak snowstorm in Burgess. "School's cancelled!" Jamie called in victory. Elisa cheered in return and watched Jamie and his sister run away down the street, still shouting. A wide smile plastered on her face, she heard another sudden gust of wind behind her, and turned to see Jack landed on the snow-covered ground and smiling smugly. He twirled his staff before leaning on it nonchalantly. "How was that?" he asked with his lop-sided smirk.

"You did it!" Elisa laughed. "I can't believe you did it! You canceled school, just like that!" Her smile wavered. "Won't you get in trouble?"

"The Easter Bunny won't be too happy with me," Jack admitted. "But who cares? Now come on, let's go have some fun. You got those ice skates?"

"I do!" Elisa reached into her backpack and pulled out the pair of ice skates.

"Then come on already!" Jack laughed and grabbed her free hand without thinking, pulling her down the street. Elisa laughed and ran behind him, her ice skates in one hand, and her other hand in his. Her hand was so warm! Jack only realized and let go when he felt her hand shiver under his.

"Sorry," he said quickly. Elisa's hand looked a little blue…especially her fingernails, and her lips.

"Wait." She reached into her backpack again and pulled out her mittens; she slipped them on quickly, before picking up her ice skates in one hand and taking Jack's hand again with the other. Jack grinned as he felt her mittened hand in his and he continued pulling her down the street. They ran all the way to the skating pond.

"What about you?" Elisa asked him as she tied her ice skates on to her feet. "Don't you have skates?"

"I don't need skates," Jack answered smugly as he slid out onto the ice on his bare feet. He swung his staff over his shoulder and held the other hand out to the girl. Elisa slid out on to the ice and took his hand. It seemed like they were out on the ice for hours, Jack pulling her or pushing her around the ice. She was so good now that she hardly needed his help; she didn't fall once, though once she did trip once and Jack had to catch her.

"Whoa!" he laughed, catching her in his arms as they spun around from the impact. He was holding her up with his arms around her, and her arms had landed on his chest with her hands on her shoulders. When they stopped spinning, she looked up at him nervously, as if – expecting something, Jack realized. He stared at her, and realized her eyes had drifted directly upward.

Jack lifted his head and saw none other than predictably placed patch of mistletoe above them.

"North," Jack muttered under his breath. "I'll get you for that."

"What?" Elisa said.

"Nothing!" he said, looking down at her. "I – uh…"

"Yes?" she prompted.

"Uh…" It was now or never, he thought. She had seen the mistletoe and expected it. He didn't have much experience in kissing. Sure, he had "bitten noses" as people called it, planted chilly kisses on girls' cheeks just for fun, but… he had never properly kissed someone. He wasn't even sure what would happen. Would she get frostbite on her lips? Would she just freeze to death and die instantly? But surely it wouldn't hurt her if he pulled away quick enough… like he had with her hand…

He leaned his head in toward her as she closed her eyes, seeing the white snowflakes caught on her dark lashes. He leaned toward her mouth, but hesitated when something caught his eye behind her. A single yellow flower had pushed its way through the freshly fallen snow. Springtime had arrived. Jack pulled back from Elisa, whose eyes flickered open only after an awkward long moment had passed. Her green eyes matched the tiny little plant.

"I, uh… I should get going," he said, stepping back awkwardly and leaving Elisa hanging.

"What? Why?" Elisa asked in concern.

"Springtime," he said, gesturing to the little flower behind her. Elisa turned her head and saw it.

"Oh…" she said sadly. "But, you'll come back, won't you?" she demanded, turning back to him.

"Of course," Jack said, swinging his staff over his shoulder again. "Next winter."

"But that's so long from now," the girl said miserably.

"Hey," Jack said, placing himself back directly in her gaze. "I'll be back before you know it. I'll bring the autumn frost early. Well, as early as I can without getting into trouble."

Elisa allowed a playful little smile. "Well we wouldn't want you to get into trouble again, now would we. You're already in trouble for the snow day."

"And proud of it," Jack smirked.

"I feel like have we met before," Elisa said, her green eyes clouding over, "but I just can't quite remember it…"

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm just glad you can see me," Jack laughed.

"But what if I forget you again?" she asked worriedly. "You won't forget me, will you?"

"Elisa, I've been looking for you for hundreds of years. I'm not going to forget you," Jack let slip out, before he realized what he was saying. To hide his embarrassment, he walked over the ice and plucked the yellow flower from the snow. It froze instantly in his hand. "Uh…. sorry," he said lamely, holding out the frozen flower to her. "But it's the best I can do."

"It's beautiful," Elisa said, taking the flower. "See you next winter then?"

"See you next winter," Jack said. "And…happy Easter."

Elisa gripped her tiny, frozen flower and watched as the boy hesitated a moment, then whistled up the wind and flew off into the sky.


	7. Chapter 7

Elisa tried her hardest to remember her snow day spent with Jack Frost, every single detail of it. She ran through it every day in her mind, all through spring and summer, picturing the snowflake patterns in his bright blue eyes, or the way it snowed when he was nervous or excited. Her parents noticed something different about her.

"Something's up with Elisa," she overheard her mother saying to her father. "If I didn't know better, I'd say she was lovesick."

"Over who?" her father replied over his newspaper.

"You try asking her; I can't get a word out of her."

"Elisa," her father asked, several times, as she sat staring dreamily out the window. "Who is that you're in love with?"

"Only Jack Frost," she would answer with a smile. Her father would shake his head and give up. She knew her parents wouldn't believe her about Jack, so she didn't bother trying to explain the truth. Besides, she hadn't sorted it all out herself yet. Even though she had only spent one fun snow day with Jack Frost, she felt like he was a very good friend, even an old friend who she had before. But her parents' conversations made her ask herself, was she in love with him?

She didn't answer herself, because she felt the answer might be dangerous. How could a person fall in love with a legend, a fairy tale? What would happen to her?

"You need to get your head out of the clouds, Elisa," her mother would tell her.

Yet Elisa continued to gaze out the window and dream of the day she would see frost patterns on it and snowflakes drifting outside, because that would mark Jack's return. She just wanted to see him again, not sure what she would do or say when she finally did. Until then she had only one day's worth of memories and a tiny, frozen flower to keep her from thinking she had dreamed the whole thing. The frost had melted off the flower long ago, leaving it wilted and dead, but she kept it in a vase on her window for as long as she could. When it looked in danger of crumbling, she pressed it safely away in a book. At first she flipped open the book and looked at if every day, but as spring turned to summer, and school let out, she found herself forgetting about it sometimes. By the end of summer she was having a hard time remembering the sound of Jack's voice, or what his hand had felt like. Had it really been cold, like snow? And had the snow day and school being cancelled really been his doing? Maybe she had just imagined that part.

There was a new kid in town, a year older than her, who had just moved there. He had quickly befriended Elisa, probably because Elisa was always kind and welcoming to new kids. But he seemed to have taken a real interest in her. He had blonde hair like her, and was named Raven, short for some long old-fashioned name she forgot. He was very polite and charming, and her parents loved him, but, to tell the truth, he just didn't really know how to have fun. He didn't really understand why Elisa stopped and smelled flowers all through the summer. And he surely didn't understand her dreams of snow and wintertime.

"But it's so cold," he would say about winter. "And all the snow gets in the way. We have to shovel the sidewalks and scrape off the cars…"

Elisa knew that the beauty in winter was not something she could explain to anyone. It was the hardest season to appreciate; she knew. People got sick and died in winter, after all. They froze to death in the snow, or starved to death. But it had magic too. Frost drawings on the windows and icicles hangings from the trees. Winter could turn a lake into a skating rink. If these weren't magic, then what was?

Still, Raven was very nice and patient with her. He took her to prom, bought flowers for her, and never pushed her for any commitment. He was a gentleman in a modern age, she admitted. In other circumstances, she could really see herself maybe marring him someday. But when her prom bouquet wilted, she threw it out. She didn't press the flowers in a book, like the one little yellow flower pressed safely away.  
By the time autumn came around, she was afraid that maybe she really had just dreamed Jack Frost. Maybe it was just too sad and lonely waiting for him. It was easier if he had just been a dream. Still, even when she had a lovely time out with Raven, she felt something missing. In autumn she started having nightmares.

...

After leaving Burgess and Elisa for the spring, Jack had nothing better to do than to fly up to the North Pole to spend some time with North in his workshop.

"Good to see you again, Jack," North said, chipping away at his latest ice sculpture. "It was a busy winter, no? And a busy Christmas!"

"Yeah," Jack agreed absent-mindedly, "so, don't you think you should take a break for a few months now?" he said, looking at North's handiwork designing new toys.

"Never too early to start preparing for next Christmas," North replied. "Bunny feels the same about Easter. He is not too happy about your snow day in Burgess, you know," he said, his eyes twinkling as he looked over at Jack.

"Oh… you heard about that? North, look, I want to ask you something." Jack hopped up and sat on top of North's work bench next to the ice sculpture.

"What is it, Jack?" North said, laying down his tools. "You almost look nervous!" he laughed.

"I want to know if…" Jack ran a hand through his windblown hair. "If, you know, Guardians ever settle down."

"Settle down?" North raised a bushy white eyebrow. "You want a vacation, Jack?" He gestured around the workshop. "I am preparing for Christmas all year round. Does it look like I ever settle down?"

"No, that's not what I meant," Jack said quickly. "I took the Guardians' Oath. I know the responsibilities and everything."

"I know you do," North said, picking up his tools again and hacking away at the ice sculpture.

"I meant… do Guardians ever…you know… get married?"

Jack flinched as North's tools clattered noisily to the floor. Every Yeti and elf in the room stopped what they were doing, turned, and stared. "Married?!" North bellowed. He burst into laughter. "Who are you getting married to, Jack?"

Jack leapt to his feet. "North, look, I'm serious!"

"I know," North said to the boy. "Sit down and calm down, eh? You are making it snow."

Jack sat back down on top of the work bench, flustered as snowflakes fell around his head. "What I'm asking is," he blurted out quickly, "what happens if a Guardian falls in love? Are Guardians even allowed to fall in love?"

North leaned against the work bench opposite Jack, crossing his tattooed arms and smiling slightly. "You will get different answers depending on who you ask. You ask Bunny, he say no. He would tell you that our responsibility is to the children of the world. Falling in love is distraction from Guardians' duties."

"Oh…" Jack looked away at the floor.

"But," North continued. "You ask Tooth, and she would tell you different. Tooth would say that Guardians' very duties stem from love for the children. So how can love for anyone be bad?"

Jack looked at the floor, listening to North's words. "But what do you say?"

"I say, you already know answer. How did you become a Guardian, Jack?"

"I saved my sister," Jack answered.

"You gave your life to save hers," North said, pointing a finger at Jack's chest. "The ultimate act of love. If you had never loved, you would never have become Guardian."

Jack smiled a little. "I never thought of it that way."

"Of course," North said, patting his belly. "You don't believe me, just ask my wife."

Jack shook his head. "Did you say wife?" he asked in disbelief

"What, you never heard of Misses Claus?" North laughed loudly.

"Well yeah, I've heard of her - but I thought she was just – I mean, you never mentioned her!"

"You thought she was just a myth?" North laughed with a twinkle in his eye. "Surely you know better than that by now, eh, Jack? It's true, I try not to get her involved in Guardian business. That is because I am protecting her, and myself."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked.

"If Pitch Black knew about her, he would know my weakness," North said. "Our love for others is our weakness."

"You're protecting her from Pitch," Jack said in understanding.

"I love her," North said simply. "It is my duty to protect her. But also to protect the children. You must be able to do both. But sometimes, you need both. I would not have been able to go on for so long without Misses Claus." He smiled in a dreamy way that Jack had never seen before. "She helps me prepare for Christmas. She takes care of the elves and the Yetis, and me. She is _my _Guardian. Everyone needs a Guardian. You see, Jack?"

"Yeah, I see, alright. I've never seen you so mushy before," Jack said, smirking at North.

"Ha!" North playfully punched Jack in the arm. "Perhaps you are right. But there is your answer. Can Guardians get married? I did! I fell in love and got married, and Manny approved." He pointed up at the sky, referring to the Man in the Moon. "Because he knew that I could use some help. He knew that I needed her. But between you and me," he whispered conspiratorially to Jack, "I would have done it with Manny's permission or not! Now go." He gave Jack a shove on the back. "I am busy preparing for next Christmas. Go take your lovesickness someplace else."

"But North," Jack said in bewilderment. "What should I do?"

"Ask her, of course!"

"But how can I…"

"Two words, marry me!"

"That's not what I meant!" Jack said, blushing blue amid a sudden flurry of snowflakes. "And anyways, I can't ask her," he went on in frustration, "because I don't have, you know, the house or the horse or the bag of gold..." He counted off on his fingers.

North raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"

"Well, that's what Father Winter told me," Jack explained. "He told me that in order to be a man, I need a house, a horse, a bag of gold, and a wife to make it all worth it." He shrugged. "Well, I guess nowadays it would be a house, a car, and a bank account..."

"BAH!" North scoffed. "Old Man Winter has head on crooked! Look here, Jack." He slapped a heavy hand on the boy's back. "You do not need money or horse or even house to be a man. And certainly don't need them to get married. A wife to make it all worth it, yes, that's true," he said with a sentimental smile. "Misses Claus makes everything worth it. But she would still love me without money or fancy sleigh or big workshop. You see? It's what's in here that matters." He poked a finger at Jack's heart. "That is what makes you a man. And Elisa will feel the same, I am sure."

"You really think so?" Jack asked.

"I know so!" North smacked his belly to make his point. "Forget what Old Man Winter says! You listen to me instead. Two things," he said, suddenly more serious. He counted off on his fingers. "First, do not let girl distract you from your Guardian duties. If she is really the right one, then she will help you with your duties. Second…" He took Jack by the shoulder and waved a finger in his face. "Do not let the Boogie Man find out about her. For her own safety."

"I understand," Jack nodded.

"Then you are going to ask her?" North grinned, throwing out his arms triumphantly.

"Uh… maybe next winter," Jack said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't see her til then, after all."

"Good enough! Plenty of time for you to practice. Now, if you don't mind, I am busy. Less than a year til next Christmas!"


	8. Chapter 8

It was a long wait til next winter, and Jack spent a lot of the time with his friend the Tooth Fairy at Tooth Palace. When autumn rolled around, meaning his long wait was early over, Jack was so excited and anxious at the same time that he let slip to Tooth his plan to ask Elisa.

"You're really going to ask her?" Tooth gasped excitedly when Jack broke the news to her. She clasped her hands together and sighed dreamily, her mini fairies copying her. "Oh Jack! I knew it would work out for you. You see? I told you you could make her believe! And you didn't just make her believe, you really won her heart!"

"Well, I don't know," Jack said nervously, tossing his staff from one hand to the other. "I mean, I'd like to ask her, but – well, it just wouldn't work out!"

Tooth hovered down toward him and looked at him with concern. "Why not?"

"We're just – too different!" Jack threw out his arms in frustration. "I mean, she's human, and I'm, well, I'm a spirit. Most people can't even see me. Not to mention the temperature difference… I can't even touch her for too long without giving her frostbite."

"Oh, Jack." Tooth comfortingly lay her slender hand on his shoulder. "If she really loves you, none of that will make any difference to her."

"Well, even if she does say yes," Jack went on in irritation. "Where would we live? And what will she tell her parents? _Hey Mom and Dad, I met this really great guy, but the thing is, he's Jack Frost. _They won't even believe her."

"Couples have gotten through far greater difficulties," Tooth said patiently. "Romeo and Juliet, Antonie and Cleopatra… Just ask Cupid!"

Jack rolled his eyes; he had heard of Cupid, the Guardian of Love, but never met him. He and others, like the Leprechaun (Guardian of Luck) watched over people after they grew up, while Jack and his friends were Guardians of Childhood, watching over children and the young-at-heart.

"Why don't you explain everything to Elisa and let her make up her own mind?" Tooth asked.

"You're right," Jack said thoughtfully. "Back in January Junction, I never told her who I really was. Jamie says that's why I lost her. So this time, I'll tell her the truth. Thanks, Tooth."

"Anytime, Jack." Tooth beamed at him. "I'm sure it will work out. It worked out for North and his wife, after all."

"You know Misses Claus?" Jack asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, of course! We're good friends. And I can't wait to meet Elisa too." Tooth gave a beaming smile. "So how are you going to ask her?"

Jack rubbed the back of his neck and smiled at the floor. "I'll think of something."

"Why don't you practice on me?" Tooth burbled excitedly. "Go on, pretend I'm Elisa." She hovered in front of him and folded her hands in front of her, looking wide-eyed and innocent. "Well go on, what do you say to me?"

"I…uh…" Jack laughed. "Alright. Elisa." He pointed a finger at Tooth, trying not to crack a smile. "You… I…."

Tooth waited, staring at him expectantly.

"I want you …to…" Jack started spinning his finger in the air, hunting for words. "Um… with me."

"No no no, Jack!" Tooth threw out her slender arms in frustration. "You have to _ask_ her, from your heart." She lay her hands over heart and smiled dreamily. "Just be yourself!"

"Alright, alright!" Jack threw up his hands. "I get it. I don't need any more practice. You know, I think it's not too early to bring the autumn frost," he said with a smirk, grabbing his staff. "Maybe it's time I went home to Burgess."

Tooth smiled knowingly at him. "Good luck, Jack!"

…

It was a day in late October when Elisa's fears came true. Ravenal asked her to spend the day with him alone, and they were strolling through the park, the leaves of red, orange, and yellow falling around then.

"Winter will be here soon enough," Raven said to Elisa, thinking it would cheer her up. He knew winter was her favorite season.

"But the autumn frost hasn't even come yet," Elisa said sadly.

"What's the matter, Elisa?" Raven asked in concern. "You seem so sad lately. Your parents have noticed it too. All through autumn, you've seemed so different."

"Nothing's the matter," Elisa assured him. "I'm perfectly happy. Why shouldn't I be?" She gave him a smile. In truth, she had been plagued by terrible nightmares all autumn. It had grown so bad that she was afraid to sleep at night. She felt as if the nightmares had invaded her mind, poisoning her happy memories and slowly making her forget them altogether. She didn't know why this was happening to her, but she felt as if the nightmares were feeding off her fear of the future, of what was about to happen. She knew Ravenal was about to ask her something important, and she knew her parents expected her to say yes. But it was also a fear of something else… of forgetting someone. And the nightmares fed on fear and anxiety. She no longer had pretty dreams of ice skating with a certain someone, or of that one fun snow day long ago.

Today Elisa's fears were coming true. Raven got down on one knee amid a patch of technicolor autumn leaves. "Elisa," he said up to her, gently holding her hand. "I know we haven't known each other very long, but I've talked to your parents about it and they assured me we are right for each other."

"I don't understand." Elisa said in denial.

"Elisa, I'm asking you to marry me," Raven said plaintively.

Elisa took a step back in shock, pulling her hand away from his. "Marry?" she laughed with a carefree smile. She had seen this coming, but it was still a shock. She had never told Raven that she loved him, and certainly never kissed him. She had never done anything to say they were more than just good friends. But she had always guessed how Raven felt about her. "Raven, I'm only eighteen," she said in disbelief. "We're still in school."

"We can wait," Raven said, standing up and putting his hands out plaintively. "Whenever you're ready."

Elisa took another step back, shaking her head. "You're a very good man, Raven. The best any girl could hope for. But I don't know if I'll ever be ready."

"You're a free spirit, Elisa," Raven said with a smile. "I know that. But you'll have to settle down someday. Haven't you ever thought about the future? Farther ahead then winter, I mean?" he asked teasingly.

Elisa didn't return his smile. "Thank you, Raven. I'm really very flattered, but I …. I just need some time to think about it.'" Ravenal watched in surprise as she marched right past him, headed quickly for home. She was very flustered and didn't meet his eye as she passed. She left him standing alone among the trees. Once she was out of eyesight of him, she broke into a run and sprinted the rest of the way home, her blonde hair flying behind her.

She burst through the front door of her house and rushed past her parents, sitting contentedly at the coffee table. "Elisa, what's the matter?" her mother asked in concern.

Elisa paused at the base of the staircase. "I – nothing," she said quickly, and hurried up the stairs to her room. Once there, she collapsed on her bed, but she didn't cry. She felt too empty to cry. Why didn't she love Ravenal? She should; he was a good man, a perfect gentleman, and he had always been kind to her. But she barely felt any emotion anymore; she felt as if her heart had frozen. She knew her parents liked Ravenal and wanted her to marry him. And she knew he came from a good family with a lot of money, while her own parents were quickly running out of money. She didn't want to be a burden on her parents. With Ravenal, she would be set for life, and be able to support her parents too. It was the best opportunity she would ever get, and she knew it. But logic couldn't fill the empty spot in her heart.

She flipped open the old book beside her bed to see the single wilted flower from that snow day long ago. She was still waiting for Jack's return. But would he return? Would he remember her? And a more terrible question had started to form in the back of Elisa's mind: Was he even real? She had started to fear that she had imagined him, that she had dreamed that day. She had used to be so sure, but every night she had nightmares that said she had just dreamed him up, that it had never happened, that Jack didn't love her, that he wasn't even real. She held the flower in her hand as she fell asleep; she was terrified of the nightmares, but she was so exhausted she couldn't hold back from sleep any longer.

In her dream she was with Jack again, but it dissolved into a nightmare as the boy turned into a pile of snow and blew away in the wind, disintegrating into nothing. And with that pile of snow blowing away in the wind, her memories of him were blowing away too. When she woke in the morning, the flower had been accidentally crushed in her hand, and was nothing more than dust.

"Elisa," her mother said gently, knocking on her door. The woman came in and sat on her daughter's bed. "I know what Raven talked to you about. He talked to your father and I about it first." Elisa looked sadly down at her empty hands. "He's a wonderful match for you," her mother said gently, taking her daughter's hand. "You won't find anyone better. Well, no one real," she said with a soft smile. "I think it's time you let go of your fairy tales, Elisa. Don't you love Raven?"

Elisa bit her lip. "I'm not sure. I think I could have, if things were different. But it just doesn't feel right."

"Then who do you love?" Her mother's lips wrinkled in a teasing smile. "Jack Frost?" Elisa didn't answer. "He was your childhood love," her mother laughed. "But that was just a dream, Elisa. It's time you got your head out of the clouds. You need to think about the future, about settling down. It's time you grew up." When Elisa still didn't say anything, her mother grew frustrated and rose to her feet. "Your father and I hope you will choose wisely, for all of our sakes." With that, Elisa's mother exited the room, not looking back.

Elisa sat on her bed alone for a few minutes, before saying to herself in a sad but resolved voice, "That's it, then. I'm marrying Raven." She looked sadly out the window, and said in a heartbroken voice, "Jack Frost isn't real." The nightmares had won. She pulled the curtains closed.


	9. Chapter 9

Elisa's parents were delighted to hear her assent. "Now I know it all seems scary right now," Elisa's mother said gently, "but in time, you'll really grow to love Raven. I'm sure of it." Elisa hoped maybe she could grow to love him. She thought the real problem was that she just hadn't grown up yet. Maybe once she grew up, and "got her head out of the clouds," then she probably would love Raven. But to tell the truth, she was still a child at heart, and that child dreamed of someone other than the kind, down-to-earth young man with light blonde hair.

"I have something to cheer you up," her mother said, taking her hand. She led her back to her bedroom and said, "Wait here." She returned a while later with a large package in her arms. She unwrapped it carefully to reveal a long white dress embroidered in pearls, and a matching veil and pair of slippers.

"Your old wedding dress," Elisa said in awe, recognizing it from old photos.

"That's right." Her mother smiled. "It should fit you now. Here, try it on."

Elisa let her mother put the dress on her, still feeling hopeless but comforted slightly by her mother's kindness. Elisa faced the mirror to see herself in the long white dress, the bottom hanging around her ankles. The dress was thick and layered and had long embroidered sleeves; it was meant to be worn in winter, which was really very special, since most brides were wed in the spring and most dresses were made for that season instead. Her mother then slipped the white slippers onto Elisa's feet, and placed the veil on top of her head, over her wavy blonde hair that had grown longer through the year. "There," her mother said lovingly, smiling into the mirror. "A winter bride. I know you would want to be wed in winter."

Elisa stared at herself in the mirror a moment, before looking down at the floor and holding back a tear. "I know it seems awful now," her mother said. "But things will get better."

The voice of Elisa's father called from downstairs. "Elisa!" he called up. "Raven's come to visit!"

"I'll go make him comfortable," Elisa's mother said. "Take your time, dear. Come down whenever you're ready." She squeezed her daughter's hand a moment, before exiting the room and closing the door behind her.

Elisa knew she should change back into her normal clothes and go downstairs to see Raven, now her fiancé. But she just couldn't bear to go down and see him and pretend to be happy. It would be cruel to herself and to him. So she just stood where she was, staring blankly into the mirror.

Suddenly her eyes focused and she looked over her shoulder. Had someone called her name? She listened closely. She heard it again. It was very faint, coming from outside. She picked up the gown slightly with her hands and moved to the window.

"Elisa!" the voice called faintly. It sounded familiar, Elisa thought. She knew that voice. Her spirit flooded with sudden joy. Could it be? It was as if her heart, long frozen in ice, suddenly felt a thaw of spring. She put her hands on the window and pushed it open. "Elisa!" the voice called again, from a distance.

"Hello?" Elisa called out softly, still too unsure to shout out. She couldn't bear to get her hopes up if it wasn't him. She had forgotten what his voice sounded like.

"Elisa," the voice called out, but this time it seemed slightly fainter, as if he was getting farther away.

"No, wait! Over here!" she called out louder.

The voice called out, still fainter, barely audible. He was going in the wrong direction. She couldn't lose him. She didn't even have time to take off her mother's dress. She picked up the bottom of the gown and threw a leg over the windowsill, pushing herself out along with the fluffy layers of dress. She was on the second story, so she grabbed the gutter pipe and prepared herself to slide down. For a moment she considered going back in and down the staircase, and taking off this dress while she was at it, but the voice called out so faintly that she knew if she stalled any longer, she would lose him completely. She grabbed the chilly gutter pipe in her hands, braced herself, and shut her eyes. She pushed off from the windowsill and slid down the pipe. She had to bite back her scream as she fell, lest her parents or Raven heard her. After a long fall, she landed softly in a pile of autumn leaves. She jumped out of the pile quickly, gathering up the gown in her hands in preparation to run her fastest.

What would her parents think if they looked out now and saw her running away like this? What would Raven think? She didn't want to hurt him, but she just had to know who it was. She had to know whose voice was calling her name, or she would die wondering.

"Come back!" she shouted as she ran down the street, her white slippered feet crunching through the piles of brown leaves on the pavement. She saw a few children poke their heads out windows and stare at her, and she realized how ridiculous she must look.

Jamie Bennett was raking leaves in his front yard. "Elisa," he said, looking up and seeing her running toward him. "Um – getting ready for Halloween?" he asked, looking her up and down.

Elisa ran right past him, the long veil flying behind her. "Sorry Jamie, I can't talk right now!"

"Okay," Jamie said curiously, turning his head and staring at her as she continued running.

Elisa rounded a street corner and paused, listening for the voice. "Elisa!" it called out faintly. She picked up her gown again and ran in the direction of the voice; he was in the forest.

"I'm coming!" she shouted as she ran toward the line of trees. She couldn't help but break into a large grin as she ran into the woods and raced onward, the leaves falling and swirling around her as she passed. "Jack!" she shouted through a smile, allowing herself to say his name at last. She was sure it was him. How could she have forgotten the sound of his voice?

"Elisa!" The voice was much closer now, just around the trees. He was teasing her now, laughter in his voice.

"Jack, where are you?" she laughed, racing around a tree in the hopes of catching him.

The voice laughed from just beyond the next tree. She grabbed the tree trunk and swung herself around, laughing, and holding out her other arm to catch him. "Jack!"

Her laughter ceased suddenly as she stumbled to a stop, coming face to a face with the figure on the other side of the tree. He was tall, dark, with cold yellow eyes. He was standing completely still, waiting for her, with a mocking smile on his gray lips. He was so tall, he towered above her, and he radiated a feeling of absolute terror.

"Who – who are you?" Elisa stumbled backward, tripping slightly over her gown.

"Oh, my dear, you know who I am," the figure said in a cold voice. He threw a hand in the air with a flourish. "I'm the Boogie Man," he said with a smile.

...

Elisa stared in horror at the figure that had haunted her through childhood. "You've been bringing me nightmares," she accused him angrily.

"That's right!" Pitch said in delight. "And I believe you came looking for this." In his other hand he held out a small golden cylinder, the end of which was painted with – to Elisa's surprise – a small portrait of Elisa when she was little. She recognized her own wavy blonde hair, bright green eyes, and happy carefree smile.

"What's that?" she asked curiously.

"Your baby teeth," the Boogie Man said matter-of-factly. "From your past life, actually." He smiled, showing his own pointy teeth. "You see, they hold the most important memories from your childhood, from your past life." Elisa stared in confusion as the man continued. "I bet you didn't know you had a past life," he said. "You decided to come back again, for some reason. Perhaps you thought you had missed something… or someone? Yes, I think that's it." He tossed the golden box up in the air and casually caught it again, making the teeth inside rattle. "I think you came back looking for a certain someone… Someone in here." He grinned, holding out the box teasingly in his hand.

"You're insane," Elisa said in disgust, before picking up her gown and turning away.

"Is he real? Or did you just dream him up?" the Boogie Man called out to her, causing Elisa to pause in her tracks. "You can almost remember," he said mockingly. "It's right there, on the tip of your mind. But you just can't remember. You can thank me for that." Elisa turned back to stare at him. "I poisoned your memories with nightmares," he said, shaking the box full of teeth. "You see, I stole both your teeth boxes from the Tooth Palace. One from this life, and one from your past life. I poisoned your good memories from this life. You can't even tell your memories apart from the nightmares anymore. You can't tell what was real and what you dreamed." He held up the one tooth box in his hand. "But this one," he said, "from your past life. This one I've left untouched yet... I thought you might want it."

"Leave me alone," Elisa spat at him. "And take your nightmares with you."

"I'm the Boogie Man! Nightmares are my job," Pitch laughed. "Though I admit I've taken special interest in you, my dear… It started when one night, I was browsing through the dreams of the children of Burgess, turning them into nightmares…" He circled around Elisa, casually telling his story. "That's what I do, of course. The Guardians try their best to keep me in line, but I will always be there somewhere, turning dreams into nightmares. Anyways, what do I find but a certain little girl sweetly dreaming of Jack Frost." He feigned a smile at Elisa, putting mock sweetness in his voice. "Well, it's obvious she's in love with him, but the question is, does he return the feeling?"

"Why do you care about Jack?" Elisa demanded.

"Jack is a Guardian," Pitch growled. "Sworn to defend the children of the world against fear. Against me."

"I didn't know that…" Elisa said quietly, mostly to herself. "I thought he just brought winter…"

"Oh dear, it seems there's a lot he hasn't told you," Pitch teased. "But then, he never was very good at telling you the truth, was he?" He smiled at Elisa, who was further confused. "Well, you can imagine, the next thing I did was peep in and see what Jack himself was dreaming of," Pitch went on. "And there you were, all pretty in your ice skates. I couldn't believe it. Jack, in love with a mortal girl! Why, it's too precious. And the perfect opportunity…. For my revenge," he finished with a growl.

Elisa couldn't help but feel her heart flutter when Pitch said that Jack had been dreaming of her. But then again, she knew Pitch was probably just lying to her to lure her in. Jack probably didn't even remember her anymore. All the same, a wave of courage swept through her at the mention of Jack. "Leave Jack alone!" she shouted, stepping up to the tall, dark figure.

"Why does it matter to you?" Pitch laughed. "You just dreamed him, remember? It never happened!" He was echoing her nightmares. He leaned down and breathed in Elisa's ear, causing her hair and her veil to stir slightly. "He's not real."

"I don't believe you," Elisa retorted.

"You want to know the truth, then?" Pitch said seductively. "About you and Jack? You want to know why you feel empty when you're with your precious knight-in-golden-armor Raven? You want to know why you came back for a second chance?" He raised the golden tooth box in one hand. "The answers are all in here."

Elisa hesitated. "What do you want for it?"

"Oh nothing, nothing really. Just a tad bit of information… Just tell me one thing." He leaned down again and looked her in the eye. "What does your dear Jack fear most?" he whispered.

Elisa backed away from him with an angry glare. "Nothing that you could ever do; that's for certain!"

"Oh come now, Elisa. Surely you know him better than anyone. I don't usually do this; it's actually what I'm best at, knowing what people fear most. Jack's worst fear _used_ to be that no one would ever believe in him, but obviously that's changed now that he's a Guardian. I admit he eludes me now. Just tell me one little fear of his, and I'll give you your memories. And everything will become clear to you."

"Never!" Elisa shouted.

Suddenly Elisa turned her head, hearing voices deeper in the forest. They were children's voices, calling out. They sounded distressed. She thought she heard one cry for help.

"Oh dear," Pitch said mockingly. "It looks like you're not the only one I've lured into the woods tonight." His look of mock concern twisted into a cruel smile. Elisa looked at his cold yellow eyes, then back into the forest. Were the voices real, or another trick of the Boogie Man's? Another child cried out. She had no choice, whether it was a trick or not. She lifted up her gown again and ran off in the direction of the children's voices, deeper into the forest. It was starting to grow dark; the sun was going down. Pitch watched her run off with a smile, still holding her memory box in one hand.

"Help!" one of the children's voices cried.

"I'm coming!" Elisa shouted as she ran.

…

Jack Frost rode the wind down into Burgess, landing rather ungracefully on Elisa's windowsill. "Whoa!" he said, saving the bouquet of flowers in his hand just in time; they'd nearly been crushed on impact. They were white roses he'd picked up on the way; they'd frozen in his hand and were covered with little icicles, but it was the best he could do. He went to knock on Elisa's window, an excited smile on his face, when he suddenly froze. The window was open already, and Elisa wasn't inside. The bed wasn't even slept in, and it was the middle of the night.

"Oh no…." Jack said, suddenly worried. He had expected to find her safely in her bed. He had been looking forward to waking her and seeing the look of surprise on her face. Where could she be? And why had she left through the window? If there had been snow on the ground, he could have tracked her, but there were only piles of dead leaves.

Jack flew down the street, looking for signs. There weren't any. He did the only thing he could think of; he flew down to Jamie's window and knocked. He had to practically break the window from banging on it before Jamie woke up.

Jamie opened the window, yawning and rubbing sand out of his eyes. "Jack," he said, smiling sleepily. "You're back! It's kind of early in the year, isn't it? Won't you get in trouble?"

"Jamie," Jack said quickly. "Do you know where Elisa is?"

"Elisa?" Jamie repeated sleepily. "Oh, _Elisa_," he said, his tone changing to playful as a suspecting smile crept over his face. "I saw her earlier, a little before sunset… She was running down the street in a Halloween costume."

"Which direction?" Jack demanded.

Jamie pointed toward the woods.

"Thanks, Jamie," Jack said quickly. Jamie poked his head out the window and watched Jack fly away on the wind.

"Good luck, Jack!" Jamie called to him, smiling. "Stop chasing after her and just ask her already!"


	10. Chapter 10

Elisa soon discovered that the voices were real, and not a trick of the Boogie Man's. Or, if it was a trick, it unfortunately involved two other children now. A little girl and boy were standing there, lost and alone in the forest. Elisa knew them; she often watched over them when their parents went out, and told them stories. It was Angie and her little brother Sam.

"Elisa!" Angie cried in relief as the older girl ran to her through the piles of autumn leaves. She looked the older girl up and down. "Why are you wearing a wedding dress?"

"It's just my Halloween costume," Elisa lied quickly. She kneeled down and put her hand gently on Angie's shoulder. "Are you alright? How did you get here?"

"Sam was having a nightmare and all of the sudden he woke up and ran outside. I woke up and followed him," Angie explained. "He ran out into the woods and I followed. We got lost."

"It was the Boogie Man," Sam whispered. "I was scared."

"Shush, Sam. There's no such thing," his sister hushed him, but she looked scared all the same. "But before Sam woke me up, I was having a nightmare too," she added, looking up at Elisa.

"It's alright now," Elisa said gently. "They were just nightmares. The woods aren't even that big," she laughed. "We'll be home in ten minutes. Come on, I'll take you home." She took each child by the hand and started leading them in the direction she had come from. Though the woods were in fact quite small nowadays, it was still easy to get lost in at night. Elisa wasn't altogether sure she was going in the right direction, but it didn't really matter, as long as they got out onto a street and into the light. Then she could easily lead the children back to their home. She knew there was no reason to be afraid, but it was so dark in the woods, except for the moonlight.

It wasn't long before Elisa admitted to herself she was lost, but she kept moving anyways, so as not to let the children grow frightened again.

"Did you see the Boogie Man?" the little boy, Sam, whispered up to Elisa.

"Quiet, Sam!" Angie hushed him. "He isn't real!" But she sounded scared all the same.

Elisa felt Sam pull back on her arm, and she came to a stop. "There." The little boy pointed ahead. Elisa peered ahead into the woods and saw a pair of yellow eyes looking back. She stood frozen, but gripping the children's hands tightly. The yellow eyes grew closer and laughter echoed in the woods.

"Just as I expected," Pitch's voice laughed through the trees. "You're just like Jack; you just couldn't bare to let the little children all alone. And now you're just where I want you. Lost in the woods."

The children screamed at the sound of the voice and clung to Elisa's dress. "Shhh, it's alright," Elisa said quickly, kneeling down to their level. "He can't hurt us." When she looked up again, the yellow eyes had disappeared. All the same, she couldn't get the children to move again; they were too afraid of the dark around them. So she sat down on the ground next to them, her mother's dress splayed out in the dirt, and wrapped an arm around each of them. "Don't worry," she said. "Just go to sleep, and before you know it, it will be morning and we can find our way home." The children were still scared, but exhausted, so it wasn't long before they had fallen asleep on the ground, their arms still clinging to Elisa for assurance. Elisa kept scanning the woods for the yellow eyes again, but eventually felt herself drifting off to sleep on the hard autumn leaf-covered ground. She tried to fight off sleep, but eventually gave in to the nightmares.

…

Jack flew on the wind over the forest until he spotted two tiny figures among the trees below. With a wave of relief he plunged down and landed on the autumn leaf-covered floor. As he passed through the trees, the autumn leaves frosted over and the last remaining green leaves turned brown. The autumn frost passed through in his wake.

There was no sign of Elisa, but there were two children were sleeping on the ground, frowning in their sleep. They were having nightmares, Jack realized. They must have gotten lost in the woods. But it was alright now; Jack was here to guide them home. He stepped forward to wake them, but before he could, a shadow caught the corner of his eye.

He spun around, holding his staff up defensively as a pair of familiar yellow materialized out of the shadows of the trees. "Jack, so nice to see you again," Pitch's voice called out casually.

"How many times do I have to defeat you before you get the point?" Jack retorted, aiming his staff.

"Ah, you know how it works, Jack. Fear never really disappears completely. It's always just lurking somewhere out of sight…"

"But it can always be defeated."

"Yes, yes." Pitch's voice continued from the shadows. "But nonetheless, you've walked straight into my little trap. And this time, you're not the only one." Jack glanced worriedly at the sleeping children. "They're having nightmares of course," Pitch's voice said, a malicious grin appearing beneath the yellow eyes. "All the children in Burgess at this moment are having nightmares. And what are you doing to help them? Why, nothing. You're too busy traipsing after the girl. You see, Jack? You're messing everything up again… Falling in love, it makes a mess of everything."

"Where's Elisa?" Jack demanded. Pitch laughed. In his anger Jack hurled a blast of ice at the shadows where Pitch was hidden.

"Careful, Jack!" Pitch shouted. He materialized from the shadows, holding Elisa tightly against her struggles. One long dark arm was wrapped around her and the other was stifling her mouth so she couldn't call out. Jack lowered his staff slightly in surprise and dismay. "You wouldn't want to freeze her!" Pitch said. "Children are so delicate," he said, tracing a finger down Elisa's cheek. Elisa bit his finger. "Aah!" Pitch screamed and jerked his finger back. "That's it, girl," he said, yanking her roughly in front of him. Jack stood aiming his staff at Pitch, unable to fight for fear of harming Elisa. A shot that would be only a minor nuisance to Pitch would be enough to freeze Elisa to death.

"Let her go, Pitch!" he shouted, unable to think of anything else.

"Let me think," Pitch teased, still holding Elisa tightly against her struggling. "No." He laughed. "Well go on, Jack. Make your choice. The girl you love, or the children you've sworn to protect. You see now why you can't fall in love? Because then you have to choose."

Suddenly Pitch fell silent in surprise, whacked in the side of the face by a white embroidered slipper. Elisa had managed to pull off her shoe and whack Pitch in the face with it. Jack smiled widely at Elisa, who took advantage of Pitch's surprise by breaking free of his grasp and backing away quickly. "He doesn't have to choose," she said defiantly. "I'm going to help him."

Jack smiled at her. She was even more beautiful that he remembered. For some reason she was wearing a wedding dress, but instead of wondering why, he just thought about how beautiful she looked in it. Her blonde hair had grown longer since he'd last seen her. He'd waited all spring, summer, and autumn to see her again, but now unfortunately was not a good time for their reunion. Pitch growled and lunged quicker than Elisa or even Jack could react; in a split second he was beside the girl, and had grabbed her arm.

"Don't touch her!" Jack shouted, blasting a force of ice at Pitch which he quickly deflected, leaving a frozen black mass twisted to the side.

"_No._ Now you're going to choose, Jack. Save the children, and loose the girl forever... Or, come save the girl, and leave the children lost and terrified in the forest." He began to drag Elisa away into the shadows, leaving Jack paralyzed, still holding his staff.

"Jack!" Elisa shouted, kicking her legs against Pitch and causing him to gasp in pain. "Save the kids! And make a snow day!"

"A snow day?!" Jack repeated dumbly.

"All the kids will wake each other up when they see the snow! And they won't be afraid anymore! They'll be excited." Pitch tried to yank her again, but she put in her last effort of kicking to stall him.

"I can't leave you!" Jack called out.

"Don't worry about me; I'll be fine! He's just the Boogie Man; he can't really hurt me-"

Pitch threw a hand over her mouth, snuffing out her voice. "Clever girl," he growled. "No, I can't really hurt mortals, but I can scare them." He grinned wickedly. "And I find dying of fright as an effective way to go as any."

Jack didn't want to leave Elisa, but he couldn't leave the children alone either. And Elisa was clever and brave. He wanted to rescue her, but he knew she was capable of rescuing herself. "I'll come find you!" Jack shouted to her. "After I take the kids home. I'll find you; I swear I will!"

Elisa nodded, unable to speak around Pitch's stifling hand.

"Be quick, Jack," Pitch growled. "Before your love dies of fright." Jack glared at Pitch, still aiming his staff and unable to aim it around Elisa. "It's the only way I can kill anyone," Pitch continued, "but I find it effective enough. So here's my revenge," he finished with a bright pointy-toothed grin. "Jack Frost's sweetheart scared to _death_."

Jack stood over the two sleeping children and watched Pitch drag Elisa away into the shadows. The two figures melted away into the darkness, leaving only a pair of glowing yellow eyes, that retreated farther and farther into the darkness along with the voice taunting, "Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candlestick…"


	11. Chapter 11

Jack ran to wake up the little girl, Angie, and her little brother Sam from their nightmares. "Jack Frost?" Angie asked, her eyes fluttering open as she broke into a smile. "Look, Sam. I told you he was real."

"Jack Frost," Sam said, staring in awe.

"We got lost…" Angie told Jack, her voice breaking in fear.

"It's alright now," Jack said quickly. "I'm taking you home."

"Where's Elisa?" the little girl asked worriedly.

"Don't worry about her," Jack choked. "Let's just get you home first." He scooped up Sam on the end of his staff and grabbed Angie with his other hand, then summoned the winds to take her home. The two children laughed in amazement as Jack carried them home on the winds, and dropped them off at the windowsill of their bedroom.

"Thanks, Jack!" Angie said, landing on the floor of their bedroom. "Now go save Elisa!"

"I will," Jack told her. "I promise." He flew back onto the street, glancing into children's windows as he flew by. It was as Pitch had warned. They were all having nightmares. Elisa had told him to make a snow day, to wake them up from their nightmares, and give them some fun instead. Maybe she was right. It would take time away from following Pitch and Elisa, but he had a duty to protect the children from fear. And he knew now that Elisa understood that duty.

"Hold on, Elisa," he whispered to the night as he flew up into the clouds. Swinging his staff, he summoned the clouds into a whirling storm. Snow fell fast and thick down onto the town of Burgess and the surrounding forest. Down below, children began to wake up at the sound of the winds blowing outside, and ran to their windows, happy and excited to see snowflakes whirling by. It hadn't snowed in Burgess since Easter, many months ago. They shouted to each other, waking up their brothers and sisters and friends at sleepovers.

"Snow!" they shouted. "The first snow!"

The heavy cloud of fear over the town's children started to break. They were waking up from their nightmares and forgetting them completely, distracted by the first snow of the season. Jack saw a few run outside, jumping up and down excitedly in the fresh-fallen snow. The snow continued to come down fast and thick.

"There, that should do it," Jack said amid the falling snow. "Hang on, Elisa. I'm coming."

…

Elisa kicked and punched, but the Boogie Man dragged her deeper into the forest, his ice-cold grip on her arm not letting go. "I'm not afraid of you!" she shouted. Pitch ignored her, but paused in his tracks, looking around the dark night air as if sensing something. It had begun to snow. Elisa looked up hopefully at the sky, the snowflakes whirling down around her. "Jack," she breathed.

"Frost!" Pitch cursed. "Blast it! The children are all waking up from their nightmares…" He whirled on Elisa angrily. "The snow day was your idea! You meddling child!" he growled angrily, causing her to step back slightly in alarm. Pitch's face calmed suddenly. "Well, at least I'll have some consolation." He smiled slightly and gave her a little shove, just enough to send her falling down into shadow. For a moment she couldn't help but be utterly terrified as she fell. Then she hit the ground again some ways down, a pile of frosted autumn leaves breaking her fall. She realized she had fallen into a large pit in the forest, about ten feet deep. Maybe it was a hunters' pit used to catch animals, or maybe Pitch had put it there just for her. She stood up and glared angrily up at Pitch. "Let me out!"

"You and Jack are quite similar," Pitch said, looking down at her, unamused. "Shouting orders at me when you don't even have any leverage. Hmm, let me think. No!"

The weather had grown suddenly colder, and snow flurries fell thicker around them. Jack was making a snow day, like she had told him to.

"Poor girl," Pitch went on with mock sympathy, looking down into the pit at her. "All dressed up and no place to go. You certainly won't be getting married to anyone now. I doubt you'll survive the night in this weather." His grinned down at her. "Looks like this will be your grave."

Elisa glared up at him, slightly scared at his words but not letting it show. Pitch laughed. "You took the deal after all," he said triumphantly. "You kept your part, now I'll keep mine." He took the golden tooth box out of his robe and tossed it carelessly down to into the pit.

Elisa was surprised, but managed to catch the golden box as it fell down to her. "I don't understand," she said, holding the box in her hands.

"I said I'd give you your memories if you told me what Jack feared," Pitch went on happily. "You didn't say it exactly, but you still managed to make it quite obvious. He's afraid of losing you. _Again_." He waved his hand in the air with a flourish. "Thank you, Elisa!" he teased. "You may have helped Jack stop the nightmares tonight, but I've still won in the end. Because now, Jack's worst fear will come true."

Elisa watched Pitch back away from the pit, his smiling yellow eyes disappearing out of her line of vision. She was alone, stuck down in this pit. She began to jump up around all the edges, trying to catch something to climb her way up. But the walls were too smooth and there was nothing to grab on to. After a while she gave up from exhaustion and had to sit down to catch her breath.

Her mother's wedding dress was practically ruined now, after being dragged through the forest. It was torn at the edges and had leaves sticking to it. But it hardly mattered now. Elisa knew she would be lucky to get back home alive after tonight. The temperature was plunging as the snow fell faster and thicker. Snow began to pile up in the pit, the cold wetness soaking through her gown and sapping the warmth from her skin. She shivered. It wasn't Jack's fault; she had told him to make it snow, and there was no way he could know she was stuck in this pit like this, out in the elements. Her hands and feet started to go numb. She curled up beneath her gown, trying to warm herself up. There was little she could do. Eventually she realized she was going to freeze to death.

She was so cold, she couldn't bear it anymore. And she was tired, so tired. She no longer hoped for getting home; now she just wanted to lay down in the snow and sleep. But she knew that would be giving up.

"I'm sorry, Jack," she whispered as she lay down. "I tried…" She blinked the snow off her eyelashes and looked at the golden tooth box she still held in her hands. She had tried to pull it open several times, but it just couldn't be forced open. Now her numb, blue fingers traced lightly over the patterns. She pushed down gently on the pattern, like a puzzle, barely feeling anything beneath her freezing finger. Suddenly the box started to glow.

"Elisa," Jack's voice called. It was coming from inside the box. It was the same voice she had heard earlier, that lured her into the woods.

She stared at the box in wonder as it glowed brighter and opened up before her eyes.

…

Elisa's memories came flooding back to her, from hundreds of years ago. From a past life. She happily waved good-bye to her parents as she ran out into the snow. She looked the same; she felt she was the same person, and even had the same family and knew many of the same people. But the town was different; it was called January Junction.

"Aren't you in love with anybody yet?" her father asked as she ran delightedly out into the snow.

"Only Jack Frost," she laughed. She thought she saw someone sitting up in the tree, listening to her, but maybe she just imagined it.

Ice skating was her favorite thing to do. Once, she almost died when the ice cracked, and she almost fell through. She was scared. But she was rescued by someone unseen. "Thank you, Jack Frost," she smiled up at the sky.

She was ice-skating out on the frozen lake again when she met a boy. He was very handsome, with his goofy lop-sided grin, and clumsy on the ice. He introduced himself as Jack Snip.

Jack Snip spent Christmas with her and her family. It was the loveliest Christmas she remembered. Jack was the best friend she ever had. They went ice-skating all the time, and he loved the winter as much as she did.

Sir Ravenal returned to the town, and Elisa fell in love with him. She really did love him back then. There was only one other person she had ever loved, and that was Jack Frost. But she couldn't have Jack Frost, so she said yes to Ravenal.

They were married on the first day of spring; she had waited for her friend Jack Snip to come to the wedding, but for some reason, he didn't come. In fact, she never saw him again. She was happy with Ravenal, but there was still someone missing. She wondered often what became of Jack Snip; she would wonder for the rest of her life.

That was the end of her childhood memories, because after she married Ravenal, she grew up. The last memory she saw was herself standing there on her wedding day, smiling next to Ravenal. But someone was missing. Suddenly the red roses she was holding frosted over to white. "What was that?" Ravenal asked in awe.

"An old friend kissed the bride," Elisa answered, a tear escaping her eye.

Somewhere out in the world, a Tooth Fairy opened Elisa's other box of teeth – the one from this life, that Pitch has poisoned with nightmares. The nightmares fell away from the memories as they flew back to her.

"We go way back," Jack Frost smiled at her. He had the same face as her old friend, Jack Snip, but his hair and eyes were different colors. The smile, however, was unmistakable. "We're old friends!"

He took her ice skating, with the pair of ice skates he had gotten her for Christmas. There was mistletoe; he almost kissed her, but didn't quite make it. He picked a flower and gave it to her instead. "See you next winter," he promised.

…

Elisa fell back to the present, clutching the box full of teeth as her eyes re-focused around her. She couldn't believe she forgotten all that. Another life! Yet it was strangely similar to this one. Maybe people always relived the same things, making the same mistakes over again. But she didn't want to make the same mistake again. She had never realized who her friend Jack Snip really was; it was only now that she realized. He had been Jack Frost all along. Why hadn't he told her? If he had told her who he really was, everything would have been different.

She realized now that was why she had come back for another life. She had wanted a second chance. She had come back looking for Jack.

The memories gave her the strength to hold on just a little while longer, fighting off the freezing cold. "Jack," she breathed, clutching the freezing tooth box in her numb hands. "Why didn't you just tell me? …I always loved you."


	12. Chapter 12

Even though it was the middle of the night, the children of Burgess had run out onto the streets in order to see the first snow of the season. They jumped and laughed and threw snowballs at each other, completely forgetting their nightmares from a few minutes ago. None of them saw Pitch as he slid by; he had no choice but to slip under a bed and return to his lair, and wait to try again some other night. But at least now he had something dear of Jack Frost's. Pitch knew that Jack would be completely devastated to find the girl he loved frozen to death in the snow; nothing would hurt him worse.

…

Jack flew past the celebrating children playing in the snow, back to the forest. He had to fly over the trees for quite some time before spotting Pitch's trap with Elisa laying inside, already buried in the snow. He spotted her blonde hair against the white.

"Elisa!" Jack called out as he slid down into the pit. For the first time in a long time, he was terrified. He couldn't bear to lose her a second time. It had taken him a long time to find her down in this pit – too long, he feared. He slid down into the pile of snow and dug Elisa out, gently brushing the snow off her face. He shook her gently. "Elisa, wake up. Please."

Elisa's eyes fluttered open, and Jack's heart flooded with relief. "Jack," she said, softly but happily. "You came back, like you promised." She lay in the snow looking up at him, her blonde hair splayed out around her.

"Well of course. I always keep my promises." Jack looked down at her smiling fondly, but saw she looked very weak. Her skin was far too pale, like the snow, and her lips were blue and shivering.

"I'm just glad I got to see you again," she said, her eyes closing as she smiled contentedly. "I always believed in you."

"Elisa, why does it sound like you're saying good-bye?" Jack asked in concern. "Elisa?" He lay a hand on her, but she didn't stir. "Elisa!" He shook her gently. Little snowflakes fell on her closed eyelids.

"No!" Jack shouted. He turned his head up to the night sky, glaring defiantly at the moon. "Don't take her!" he shouted up at the moon. "I need her!"

The moon didn't answer. Jack scooped up Elisa in his arms, her now tattered white dress hanging around her, her arms hanging limply. She still felt warm in his arms. He managed to grab his staff in one hand and summoned the winds quickly. The winds carried the two of them out of the pit, and Jack rode the winds over the treetops. He had to warm her up, fast, or he would lose her.

The first thing he could think of was his old home, the spot where his house used to be. The spot was now just a barren patch of land near the frozen ice skating pond, but three hundred years ago, his house had stood there. Jack had found only a few things left over. He landed on the snow and placed Elisa carefully down, sitting her up against a tree. "Hang on," he whispered. He rummaged in the hollow of a nearby tree, where he had stowed the few things he had found left over from his old home. He returned with a piece of flint and steel, and quickly gathered some firewood, which he piled next to Elisa. He struck up a fire with the flint and steel, something he hadn't done in three hundred years. The wood caught flame. Jack gasped in pain and leapt back from the heat. It wasn't a big flame at all, but it still hurt him.

He sat at a safe distance from the bonfire, watching Elisa still sleeping peacefully beside the flames. He hoped it would be enough to warm her up. It was all he could do. He knew that when someone was hypothermic, the other person was supposed to hold them to warm them up; but if Jack did that, he would only make her colder. All he could do was sit here and wait for her to wake up. "Please," he whispered up to the moon. "Please don't take her from me again. I need her." He sat in the snow with his arms wrapped around his knees, his head buried in his arms as a few tears escaped his eyes. The tears froze on his eyelids as he waited for the girl to wake up.

...

"Jack?" a faint voice called. Jack's head rose from his arms. A weird warm feeling rushed through this heart. The girl had woken up, her eyelids fluttering open. He hurried over to her, and, forgetting himself for a moment, he pulled her close to him, his face buried in her blonde hair. He still wasn't really used to hugging others, but he was so happy and relieved that he hugged the girl without even thinking of it. Little snowflakes swirled down. "Elisa," he breathed into her hair. "I was scared I'd lost you again…Never scare me like that again," he said seriously, a smile cracking on his face.

Elisa sat still in surprise a moment before wrapping her arms around the boy and smiling, her eyes squeezed shut in happiness. "I knew you'd come back," she said joyfully. "I waited all spring and summer and fall… They said you were just a dream… But I knew you were real." Jack felt her hands grip on to him tightly, her breath stirring his frosted white hair. Elisa felt so warm now, he didn't even make her shiver as he hugged her. Instead of making her colder, it was like she was warming him up instead. "I'll always believe in you," she whispered. "I promise. I'll never doubt again."

Jack's eyes widened in surprise listening to the girl's words; his heart felt lighter as he became more hopeful that she might... that she might really love him?

"And I know that you'll have to leave again when spring comes," Elisa went on, still hugging him. "But I'll wait for winter to come back. I'll always be waiting for you," she said resolutely.

"Elisa, maybe there's another way… If you want…" Jack said unsurely. He pulled back from her hug to look at her. "I, uh…" Well, he guessed it was now or never. He took a deep breath and smiled down at the snow before looking back to her eyes. "Elisa, I love you," he blurted quickly before he could lose his courage. "Will you marry me?!" he heard himself say. There, he had said it. He looked at her nervously for an answer. The girl seemed to be in total surprise. "I mean," he added quickly, "I don't have a house, or a horse, or a bag of gold, but-"

"Jack-" Elisa was about to answer, her face raising to a glowing smile that made Jack get his hopes up - when suddenly, typical to Jack's luck, they were interrupted. A sudden whistling wind and blast of cold air behind them made both break apart, Elisa's answer still hanging in the air.

Jack spun around in surprise to see a tall, familiar figure of an old man. He had a long white beard and white bushy eyebrows, similar to North, but this man's look was very cold and stern, completely unlike North. He looked thin and hard, as if he had gone through harsh winters, and he was rather gnarled like an old tree branch. He was dressed in majestic white and blue robes that shimmered in snowflake designs.

"Old Man Winter," he heard Elisa gasp behind him.

Jack nearly choked for a moment before addressing the old man. "Father Winter," he called out, forcing himself to at least try and sound polite. "What… uh… what brings you here?"

Father Winter marched directly up to Jack, his robes fluttering behind him in an icy cold breeze. He glared down his long crooked nose and down at the boy, who was offering up a half-hearted smile in return. "Jack Frost," the old man boomed in a deep voice. "You know exactly what brings me here. You stirring up trouble again. The Man in the Moon sent me." Jack's eyes widened, but the old man kept going. "I will never understand why you can't ever be just content with the way things are." The old man's gaze shifted to Elisa, who was staring at him in mixed awe and nervousness. "You've nothing to fear, my dear," he assured her. "It's Jack here who's the troublemaker." Jack yelped in pain as Father Winter grabbed him by the ear and jerked him forward. "Always getting me in trouble with Mother Nature," Father Winter complained, holding Jack by the ear. "Causing blizzards on Easter, and early snowstorms in October! Unbelievable! You were never content; you always wanted more. So you had me turn you mortal to be with this girl-" He pointed at Elisa, still holding Jack's ear tightly. "And after that, you had to take up the Guardians' war against the Boogie Man, and take their Oath, and become a Guardian. And I suppose now you'll be wanting me to turn you mortal _again._"

"Mr. Winter, please let him go!" Elisa intervened, pulling Jack away from the old man's grip. "And I assure you we don't know what you mean."

"Oh, so Jack hasn't told you the whole story yet," Father Winter said in amusement. "Well I'll tell you. One day he comes flying in, lovesick over some mortal girl who can't even see him. It was _I _who granted his wish to be human again, to be with her. Well, go on, Jack," Father Winter said, rolling up his long sleeves. "Say the word, and I'll make you mortal again."

"Wait, what?" Jack looked up in surprise. This wasn't the punishment he had been expecting.

"You heard me," Father Winter said. "Man in the Moon and I had a little chat. As a winter spirit, you've always had to report to me. But as a Guardian, Man in the Moon is really in charge of you. But we both agreed that you've done an excellent job, and you deserve to have what you wish for."

Jack shook his head, not sure he had heard right. "Excellent job? Me? What about the snow days and blizzards on Easter? The freak off-season snowstorms?"

"Yes, yes, trivial things," Father Winter said, waving his hand. "I mean, they do cause hitches in Mother Nature's schedule, but in the end it's really the children that matter most. And you have done an excellent job fighting the Boogie Man and protecting the children of the world. You are a true Guardian, and that is something that I never had the heart for." Jack listened thoughtfully to Father Winter's words, knowing that the old man was known to have a harsh, cruel side, not above letting people freeze to death in the snow. Jack would never want that to happen.

"Though I am no Guardian, I know how difficult it is for them," Father Winter went on. "And don't think that Man in the Moon doesn't know either. Protecting the children of the world means that you must stay behind, even as they depart. To be forever parted from your family with no distant hope of reunion. A Guardian's Oath is forever more - or at least, until you are no longer believed in, and fade from memory. Or perhaps someday when the world no longer needs you. But I have been around from the beginning," Father Winter said sternly, "and I have yet to see that day." Jack looked away sadly as Father Winter spoke, thinking of his mother and sister and how long he had waited to see them again. But as a Guardian, he would have to wait still longer.

"But you have been a worthy Guardian and nobly defended the children from fear," Father Winter continued. "And so, as a reward, Man in the Moon and I have agreed that I shall return you to your mortal living state. To stay with this girl. If that is what you so choose."

Jack looked up in total surprise at this offer. He glanced over to Elisa who looked shocked as well.

"I could…be alive again?" Jack asked Father Winter.

"Yes, for the brief amount of time that a mortal man has," the old man answered sternly.

Jack turned to Elisa and gently took her hands in his. "Elisa," he said, "I want to be with you, more than anything. But…" He took a breath. "I'm a Guardian now. The kids need me now. And I know that one day they'll all be gone too, even Jamie, but Jamie's children will need me, and their children after them. When I took the Oath… I said forever. And I meant it."

"Of course," Elisa said, smiling at him and gripping his hands. She shivered a bit from holding his hands for so long, but she steadfastly heard him out and smiled reassuringly. "I wouldn't have accepted any other answer."

Jack smiled sadly at her before turning back to Father Winter. "Thank you for the offer, but I have to say no."

Father Winter nodded. "Man in the Moon said you'd say that. In that case, we agreed to do the other thing. Which is to make the girl your companion through the ages."

Elisa and Jack looked up in surprise again. "What?" they said together.

"If you refuse mortality, then the girl will be granted immortality," Father Winter said, nodding to a stunned-looking Elisa. "To aid you with your Guardian duties forever more. If that is what she chooses. She's more than proven herself: protecting children, even making them believe, and standing up to Pitch Black. The choice is hers."

Jack didn't even have a chance to say a word before Elisa had collided into him and thrown her arms around his neck. "I do!" she shouted through a wide open smile. "I choose Jack!"

"You mean... you'll marry me?!" Jack gasped.

"Yes!" she cried. "I will!"


	13. Chapter 13

Jack pulled back slightly from the girl's embrace and looked her in the eyes. "Elisa, wait," he said to her quietly. "If you do this, you'll be giving up your old life. Your family. I can't let you-"

"You are my family now," Elisa answered, wrapping her arms around his neck again and burying her head against his shoulder. Jack was speechless a moment, but then circled his arms around her waist and held her close, burying his face into her blond hair with closed eyes and a huge smile.

They broke apart suddenly as a large gush of wind passed overhead and the ground rumbled a short distance off. Jack looked over to see North's sleigh pulling up across the snow. North leapt out of the sleigh, accompanied by Bunny, Tooth, and Sandman, as well as several Yetis and elves. "We have arrived!" North shouted, throwing up his arms. He strolled up to Jack, Elisa, and Father Winter. "We are here for the wedding!"

"Wedding?" Jack repeated dumbly.

Tooth flew over to him and hugged him tightly, a bright smile on her face. "Oh, congratulations Jack! I'm so happy for you," she said sincerely.

Jack couldn't help but hug her back tightly; she had become like a sister to him. However, he was still extremely confused. "Tooth, what…" The familiar tiny figure of Baby Tooth flew over and sat herself on top of Jack's shoulder. "Baby Tooth!" he greeted her happily.

Bunny hopped up to him and punched him roughly in the arm. "I knew you'd pull it off, Lover Boy," he said, relenting a small smile. Jack threw a panicked glance over at Elisa, embarrassed at the things his fellow Guardians were saying in front of her. Elisa, however, was just staring in wonder at the Guardians; he realized happily she could see all of them. Sandman flew over to her and gave a low bow, sweeping a sand hat off the top of his head.

"Hello," Elisa laughed in awe.

North then took both Jack and Elisa in his arms at once and nearly squeezed them to death, lifting them up off the ground. "I love weddings!" he exclaimed.

"I…wasn't aware there was a wedding going on," Jack said in confusion when North had set him back on the ground.

"Ha!" North thumped him on the back and laughed. "Got cold feet, Jack? Get it? COLD FEET!"

Jack stared as an older lady walked over from the sleigh; she was wearing an old-fashioned dress and had gray hair in a bun, and she was smiling brightly.

"Jack, I want you to meet my wife," North said, taking the lady's hand.

"Jack Frost, I've heard so much about you," North's wife said, beaming at him. She held out a large plate of Christmas tree-shaped cookies. "I brought cookies."

"Um, it's nice to finally meet you, Mrs. North," Jack said. "But I'm a little confused about what's going on here…"

"I told your friends to come," Father Winter explained almost apologetically to Jack. "You see, you have to marry the girl for me to grant her immortality. That's how we did it for Mister and Misses Claus." He gestured over to North and his wife. "And I figured we could just do it now and get it out of the way. I'm a very busy man, you see."

Snowflakes fell over Jack's head as he grew flustered. "Right now? But guys!" he shouted at his companions. "Come on! I haven't even…" he trailed off, embarrassed.

"Look, you can have a proper ceremony later if you like," Father Winter said. "But I just have to go through the formalities now. Mother Nature has me on a very tight schedule." He tapped his wrist impatiently as if he were wearing a watch.

"Fine!" Jack shouted. He turned to Elisa, trying to compose himself. "Elisa… um…" He tried to ignore all his friends watching him. North and Sandy were nodding approvingly, Bunny had his arms crossed and was tapping his foot impatiently, and Tooth was watching with a dreamy smile along with several dewy-eyed mini fairies. "Um…" He turned his eyes back to Elisa's. She was staring at him with mixed confusion, apprehension, and …hopefulness? He sighed before spitting the words out through a lop-sided smile. "Elisa, will you marry me? I mean, right now?"

"Yes!" Elisa shouted happily.

Jack couldn't believe his ears. "Really?" he said dumbly.

"Yes, YES!" Elisa threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Jack got over his shock in time to wrap his arms around her waist and smile into her hair. Somewhere behind him he heard mini fairies sighing and North laughing loudly. Baby Tooth popped out of Elisa's blond hair with a bright smile. "Hey," Jack whispered to the fairy. "A little privacy please?" He wasn't able to completely contain his smile though. The fairy buzzed off happily.

"Alright then, come on!" Father Winter said behind him. "I haven't got all day."

"What will you tell your parents?" Jack asked Elisa.

"I'll explain to them… somehow. I suppose we'll have to introduce you as Jack Snip at first."

"They can't even see me," Jack laughed.

"Well, it's never too late for someone to start believing. I'll work on them. Don't worry."

"Yes, yes," Father Winter said, waving his hand in the air. "Everyone gather round then." He pulled a book somewhere out of his long robe sleeve and flipped it open. Jack and Elisa stood in front of him. The old man opened his mouth to start reading, but scowled when Jack interrupted him.

"Wait!" Jack shouted suddenly. "Someone's missing-"

There were running footsteps and panting breath behind them, and Jack turned to see Jamie Bennett, Sophie, and all his old friends running up over the ice. Jamie stopped in front of Jack and bent over his knees, trying to catch his breath. "Got here – fast – as I could," he panted. "Baby Tooth – brought us – invitation. Five minutes ago."

Jack's face split into a grin as he walked up and hugged Jamie. Jamie patted him on the back. "Congrats," he said through panting breath. The other kids stood in a circle, watching excitedly and waving at their old friends, the Guardians. "You can thank me for getting you two together," Jamie said with a smile to Jack and Elisa. "I put the whole thing in motion. I told you I would do it, Jack."

Though Jamie was now a couple of inches taller than him, Jack ruffled the other boy's hair. "Sure, alright. I owe you one, kiddo."

"I'll hold this for you." Jamie took Jack's staff from his hands. "Now go get married. It's about time!" He pushed Jack back to where Elisa was standing, in front of an impatient-looking Father Winter with an open book in his hands.

Elisa was standing there in her mother's wedding dress with snow in her hair. "You're beautiful," Jack said in a low voice, as if the others around wouldn't hear him. He saw Elisa's cheeks grow pink.

"Elisa," Father Winter said loudly, reading from his book. "Do you pledge to help Jack in his Guardian duties, to help protect the children, to help guard their hopes and dreams, now and forever more?"

"I do," she answered readily, turning to Father Winter.

"And Jack, do you pledge to guard this woman, along with all the children of Earth that you protect, now and forever more?"

"Yes," he answered. "I mean, I do."

"Then I pronounce you husband and wife and bestow on Elisa the gift of immortality, so that she may forever be _your _guardian." He snapped the book shut. "Keep him out of trouble," he commanded to Elisa, waving a finger. Jack glared slightly at Father Winter. "Now kiss to seal the deal," Father Winter commanded.

Jack turned to Elisa with what actually felt like butterflies in his stomach. He placed his hand on her cheek; it was so warm. He ran his fingers through her hair as she looked up at him with her bright smiling eyes. Then he leaned in and closed his eyes, aiming for her mouth. His lips collided into hers and he felt her warmth beneath him, hot like fire. He had never felt so warm before. He felt her arms encircle him as he pressed his lips harder onto hers, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close to him. It wasn't until they finally pulled apart that Jack was aware of his fellow Guardians and the kids cheering on either side of him. He was also vaguely aware of snow flurries falling around them. But he couldn't drag his eyes away from Elisa's wide, bright smile, her blushing cheeks and lips, and her look of pure joy. The snowflakes caught in her eyelashes as she smiled up at him.

He only tore his eyes away when everyone started hugging him, one after the other: North, Tooth, Jamie, and even Bunny gave him a pat on the back. Sandy threw his sand hat in the air. Then Jack heard North's laughter directly behind him and felt the man's heavy hand on his shoulder. "Good, good!" North laughed. "Now here is your present." Jack looked in the direction that North waved. To his amazement, he saw several elves and Yetis adding the last finishing touches to a small old-fashioned cottage, a short walk away from the frozen pond. A warm feeling rushed down him as he realized it was the little house was in the exact spot where his old house had been, when he had been alive, three hundred years ago. In fact, he was looking at his old house. North's Yetis had rebuilt it.

"Is that – did you-" he stuttered.

"Yes and yes!" North laughed, smacking him on the back. "After all, you two need proper home now. I have my workshop at North Pole, Tooth has Tooth Palace, Bunny has Warren, and now you have home too."

Jack felt a rush of emotion at North's words. "Home," he breathed. He felt Elisa take his hand. Without even thinking, he pulled her across the ice and up the snowbank, toward the familiar little cottage. He only turned when they had reached the doorstep. Jack waved at his fellow Guardians, at Baby Tooth, who was buzzing happily in the air with her sisters, and at Jamie, who gave him a knowing smile. Jamie was still holding his staff, but Jack figured he could hold on to it for a while. Then Jack picked Elisa up bridal-style, carried her into their new home, and slammed the door behind them.

...

Elisa's mother opened the door to see a policeman standing in the snow.

"Did you find her?" she gasped. "Did you find Elisa? She's been missing all night-"

"I'm sorry, ma'am," the policeman said, "but this is all we found." He handed the woman a long, tattered wedding veil. Elisa's mother recognized it instantly and took it with shaking hands. "It was out in the woods," the man said gently. "In the snow."

"The snow?" Elisa's mother said in a trembling voice. Her husband had walked up next to her and lay a hand on her shoulder.

"We'll keep looking," the police officer said.

"Thank you, Officer," Elisa's father said, shutting the door.

"Where could she be?" the mother said, whirling to her husband and clutching the wedding veil to her chest. "She couldn't have lasted the night out in the woods – in the snow-" She choked back tears as her husband hugged her.

Elisa's father held his wife and patted her back comfortingly. "I'm sure that wherever Elisa is, she's fine."

Elisa had been watching quietly from outside the window, Jack sitting beside her. Jack looked over at her nervously. "Are you sure you don't want to go talk to them?" he said gently.

"Not yet," Elisa said slowly. "They're not ready for the big news. But someday…"

"Then, do you want to leave them a message?"

Elisa nodded. Jack frosted the window pane with his staff, and Elisa wrote with a finger on the window: HI MOM & DAD. I'M FINE. LOVE ELISA. They would soon find the message and know their daughter was okay. Then Jack held out his hand for Elisa; Elisa took it, and they flew off into the winter wind toward their new home.


	14. Epilogue

"…And that is how Jack Frost got married," Jamie Bennett finished telling his children.

"Do they still live there?" his daughter asked. "In that house in the woods?"

"They sure do," Jamie answered. "Well, Jack is out bringing winter most of the time, and he's busy protecting you. But Elisa is always home waiting for him."

"But don't even think about going out and trying to find their house," Jamie's wife added. "You may as well go to the North Pole and try to find Santa's workshop."

"You mean you can't see it?" their son piped up.

"You can only see what you believe," Jamie answered. "People say seeing is believing, but it's really the other way around."

"Now good night," his wife said to their children, kissing them. She walked out of the room and Jamie was about to follow her, but paused to turn off the lights.

Jamie smiled to see the window pane had frosted over. Jack Frost had been listening in, but had already gone home to Elisa.

THE END

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING AND THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO LEFT ME A REVIEW! YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!


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